The Long Game
by Awkwardauthor
Summary: Sequel to Endgame. He is the boy who finally has the girl of his dreams. She is the girl who has the boy that makes her believe in love again. Two people navigating through a new relationship, can love survive the real world, especially when the past clashes with the present? Drabble fic.
1. HE - Cloud Nine

For anyone who read Down the Road, I mentioned I'd be posting the start of TLG after spring break. Well, here it is.

So…

Welcome to The Long Game! The sequel picks up immediately after the events of chapter 26 of Endgame. There'll just be some reflections for the first couple of chapters, but after that will come the first date and all the things that comes in relationships. Prepare yourselves for the laughs, the tears, and possibly some rage.

I made two new rules for writing the sequel. One: every chapter will be between 500 to 1,000 words. Two: there will be dialogue. Yes guys, looking back to Endgame, it was hard not to add dialogue. There are conversations in EG I wished I could've written. Adding dialogue means having to increase the word count, thus explaining the first rule. New characters will be introduced. Old characters will play a larger role in E & B's story.

Rambling aside, let's get right to it!

* * *

Chapter 1: HE – Cloud Nine

He's incredibly happy. Several months ago, he pinned himself over a girl that made him an emotional wreck. A few weeks ago, he believed destiny was back on his good side, relishing every single time he ran into her. Three days ago, he made the decision to stop being a coward and take the plunge. Twenty-four hours ago, the plunge was worth it. He and Bella are finally together.

 _"I love you," he whispers, grabbing her face in his hands. "I don't think I'll ever love another girl besides you."_

 _Her mouth curves into a wider smile. "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that."_

 _"I can say it a thousand times if you want me to."_

 _"I dare you to. You'll be out of breath before you reach the hundredth 'I love you.'"_

 _He chuckles. He always did love her crazy, out-of-the-blue jokes. "Then let me say it in my head. I'm already on the tenth 'I love you.'"_

 _"You're nuts." She slaps his shoulder playfully. "But I like that. You're my Nutty E."_

 _"Nutty E? Is that your insane idea of coming up with a pet name for me?"_

 _"Why not? It beats honey, sweetheart, and the overused baby. I'd pick bae over baby any day."_

 _He scoffs. "Oh please. I'm your bae any day."_

 _"Stop it." She winds her arms around his waist. "Nutty E will do."_

He sighs. He can't believe that moment just happened yesterday. They've always been playful around each other, but never the way they were yesterday. Yesterday, with the truth out, they no longer had anything to hold back. They fell for each other for how they are. If they are going to work out as a couple, he needs to show her just how crazy he can be.

He looks down on his phone. 8:30 A.M. They both have one class today, though his is at 10:45 and hers is at 12:15. They won't be able to catch and ride the same bus today. But they can do that three times a week. Three out of five weekdays with morning bus rides spent with her is enough. They have all weekend to spend time with each other.

His face flushes when he thinks about this weekend. They're going on their first date on Saturday. He can hardly wait. He's the man and he should be acting cool about all this. But his insides are melting at the thought of their upcoming date. He has never been on a date, not counting going with Tanya to prom. He has no idea what to expect. He doesn't even have a clue where to take her. She doesn't mind where their first date is going to be, as long as he doesn't try too hard to impress her.

"Just be you," she told him. "Don't take me to a five-star restaurant. You do that and I'll whack your head if you have to spend over a hundred bucks for food."

So where will he take her? McDonald's? He scrunches his nose at the thought. The beach? She doesn't swim, but they could walk around. She is the type to enjoy watching beautiful sceneries. Maybe they could watch a sunset together. Do a picnic.

Beachside sunset picnic. He smiles. That could work. He can make a few sandwiches, make a couple of salads, and bring Kool-laid (she prefers juice over soda). All he wants is to spend time with her. If they do a picnic, they can talk all they want and get to know each other on a personal level. For a first date, they have to talk about more things beyond school, even if academics are important to them.

He looks up. His bus is here. At least he knows what and where their date will be.

How the date will go is questionable.


	2. SHE - Make No Mistake

Chapter 2: SHE – Make no Mistake

Edward Cullen loves her.

Finally. A boy she has feelings for actually has feelings for her too, only stronger than what hers his. She hasn't told him yet, but she had realized she loves him too before winter break began. It was a realization that freaked her out at first, considering that the last time she loved a boy, he became the biggest regret of her life.

 _"I'm sorry, but I don't love you in that way anymore."_ She closes her eyes. It still stings for her to think about Jacob's words from over two and a half years ago.

 _I love Edward._ She's not in love with him yet like he is with her, but she'll get there eventually.

Her first date with Edward is tomorrow. Her stomach swirls with nerves. This is her first date. Even though Jacob is considered her first boyfriend, their relationship was long-distance and they never went on a date. Plus, they were eighth graders. She didn't know the rules of love well as a thirteen-year-old, despite all the books and fanfictions she read. Going on a date with Edward is a first that not even her best friend, Rosalie, could give firsthand advice with.

"Just be your crazy self," Rose told her earlier today when they hung out at the mall after she was done with classes for the day. "He fell in love with you because you don't take shit and just act yourself every second of every day." Rose's advice eased some of the nerves inside her, though it didn't erase her worries of the unknown. Anything could happen on the date. In fact, she doesn't even know where he's taking her.

"It's a surprise," he teased this morning while they were riding the bus heading to the library. "Just trust me, okay?"

Trust him. She can do that, right? She has no reason to doubt him. He won't take her somewhere dangerous. Sure, he's a nerd, but she knows he can come up with something exciting. After all, aren't nerds the people that come up with the brightest ideas?

If only Rose went on a date. A lot of things involving love happened to her best friend for the past several years. Unfortunately, none of those things involved a first date. Rose never had a date with her first boyfriend, Royce, who she dated for three months back in their junior year. She was emotionally distant from him and didn't give her one hundred percent into their relationship.

But that's the past. Her feelings belong to someone else now, a man she and Bella are dying to meet. Long story short, Rose is the girlfriend of a security guard named Emmett at their favorite mall that she's still yet to meet face-to-face. As of now, Emmett is still in Wales taking care of his ailing grandmother. Hundreds of miles between Rose and Emmett makes Bella feel a little sad her love life is taking off and her best friend's isn't.

She shouldn't worry too much. She's sure Rose and Emmett will have their HEA. They'll have their endgame, just like she has with him. As long as she follows her heart and not let the world dictate her feelings, her relationship with Edward will flow smoothly.

The only mistake she's worried of making again is falling hard too fast.

* * *

I'll try to update at least once a week. From the outline I made for TLG, there'll be 30+ chapters.

Oh, and Rose's story? It's true. There's an RL Emmett and an RL Royce. I'll be diving more into their confusing love story as TLG progresses.


	3. HE - Blushes and Smiles

Chapter 3: HE – Blushes and Smiles

Today's the day. The first date. Throughout the morning, he battled through internal doubts and what-if's. His sisters had to reassure him that Bella wouldn't have developed feelings for him if she didn't believe he's a worthy boy. She fell for who he is, so there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of.

He's at the beach, sitting on a red and white checkered blanket, a basket of food and drinks next to him. It's three o'clock in the afternoon. He texted Bella a couple hours ago to meet him here, suggesting for her to wear a casual set of clothes. He doesn't expect them to swim in the water (he can't swim), though he's fine with sitting down and simply talking to Bella.

"Edward!" He looks up and catches himself from making his mouth hang open. The sight of Bella never ceases to amaze him. Today, she's wearing a long black and white striped sleeveless blouse, a black leather skirt, a pair of black Vans shoes, and one of her signature beanies (this one is black). A black purse is draped over her left shoulder.

"Hi Bella." He grins. "Black suits you."

Her cheeks flush. "Thanks. I thought that if I was gonna look like a girl, I may as well wear clothes with the color of what I do best in."

"That's true." He remembers she used to often wear dark-colored shirts or blouses in high school.

She drops her bag on the blanket and sits on the other side of him, crossing her legs. "The beach, huh?"

It's his turn for his face to turn red. "You said no five-star restaurants. And I didn't want to be cheesy and take you to the movies for the first date."

She scrunches her nose. "I wouldn't have minded the movies, but that wouldn't have given us much time to talk."

"Exactly. You're the kind of girl that deserves much more than the movies. If I was going to impress you, I had to do something more than common first date material."

"And you chose the beach." She uncrosses her legs so her leg brushes against his, making the blush on his cheeks turn a deeper red. "Picnic?"

He nods.

"Sweet!" She doesn't hesitate to place her hand over his. The warmth leaves him further flustered. "Picnic at the beach. Most guys never use that idea of a date for a first date." She squeezes his hand. "You're really something, aren't you?"

"What do you mean by something?"

"Awesome. Chivalrous. Goes to show chivalry isn't one hundred percent dead."

He chuckles. "I guess I'm living up to my Nutty E nickname."

"Which is why you're my bae." She angles her face so she looks at him. Her brown eyes gazes at his green eyes with a soft expression. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

"You didn't need one," he responds, mirroring her facial expression. "Ever since the day I first saw you, I knew there was something about you that made me want to get to know you. I waited three years for this day to come. And you know what? I'm glad I waited."

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"I'd wait a thousand years for you, if it means I'll get to be with you in the end."

"You really are nutty, Edward."

His unoccupied hand reaches up to caress her cheek. "It's what I do. It's who I am."

The date is going better than he expected.

No way his doubts and what-if's will be clouding his judgement today.

* * *

I was supposed to post this last Friday, but I wanted to post my AmazingPhil x reader one-shot first. No worries though. I'll have another update for you in a few days.


	4. SHE - Insecurities

Chapter 4: SHE – Insecurities

Her first date surpasses all of her expectations.

For the next three hours, she progresses with her date with Edward with seemingly endless conversation. Aside from talking about school, they touch on subjects about their families, friends, and personal interests. Even though they've known each other for this long, there were still many aspects they didn't know about one another.

They munch on egg salad sandwiches and fruit cocktail and sip from Pacific Cooler flavored Kool-Aid. The nerves she had all week about today gradually disappear as every minute passes. Their conversation flows naturally with very few moments of silences.

At six o'clock PM, after she educates Edward about her extensive knowledge of Pokemon, they watch with amazed eyes as the sun sets at the horizon. Before today, she has never witnessed a sunset firsthand, much less one at a beach with a boy she has fallen for. Now, she's experiencing a few firsts her high school self never had the opportunity to go through.

First date. First witness of a sunset. First time wearing a leather skirt. For all she knows, with the way the date is going, a first kiss.

At six-thirty, the pair clean up and head to the bus stop to wait for a bus to take them back home. While they wait, she decided to bring up a question she wanted to bring up earlier.

"What would you consider to be your biggest insecurity?"

She notices his body go stiff. She bites the inside of her cheek. Maybe she shouldn't have asked that question. That question could have been saved for another day.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammers. "Forget I asked. You don't have to answer that." She internally facepalms. "God, I have absolutely no verbal filter sometimes."

"No, it's fine," he reassures her, his body relaxing. "I was just caught off guard."

"You still don't have to answer my question."

"I want to." He sighs. "My height. Compared to my college classmates, I feel like a short stack of pancakes."

"You're not short! You're… what? 5'4"?"

"Close. 5'5"."

"See? That's not too short. If anything, I'm short. And chubby." She frowns. "My body is my insecurity. It doesn't help that I'm also short. Compared to most girls, I don't exactly have the body guys drool over."

"You're making me drool. And I don't think you're chubby. You have curves. I like that. I like having something to hold on to." He lets go of her hand and shifts his body so his arms could wrap around her waist. The feeling of their chests touching makes her blush for what could be the hundredth time today.

"You like my body?"

"Absolutely. Whoever doesn't can go to hell."

"Damn, Edward. I didn't think you had it in your to use that sort of language." She never heard him swear him in high school, so to hear him say something remotely close to profanity takes her slightly aback.

"But it's true, right? And it's their loss for not appreciating how beautiful you are, inside and out."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"As beautiful as the sunset we saw earlier. As beautiful as your name says you are." Their faces are inches away from each other. One little move and their lips would touch. "Can I kiss you, Bella?"

All she could do is move her head in an up and down motion. The moment their lips touch, the world falls away. She closes her eyes and loses herself in the kiss. In the back of her mind, she questions if this is his first kiss too. He did tell her she's the first girl he ever went on a date on. But she read enough novels to know that people can have first kisses without first dates in context. Like spin the bottle.

"W-wow," she stutters out when he pulls away.

"Took the words right out my mouth," he breathes out in response.

"First kiss?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Ditto."

"Was it good?"

"More than good." She beams. "I'm mindblown."

"Thanks." The engine of an incoming bus makes them pull back and look at the bus that has arrived. It's their bus.

"Just so you know, I'm expecting more of that in the future," she tells him cheekily as the doors of the bus opens.

"Oh, don't worry." He hugs her close to his side. "You won't have to wait too long for the next one."

And an hour later, a few blocks away from her house, as they say goodbye for the night, he makes good on his promise.

* * *

Ah, first kiss. And their insecurities. I kinda wanna go on a beachside sunset picnic date now. xD


	5. HE - Secret Valentine

These next two chapters are pure fluff, so strap yourselves in for some swoonworthy albeit a bit cheesy moments.

* * *

Chapter 5: HE - Secret Valentine

Valentine's Day. One year ago, he felt as if the holiday mocked him. The ocean of red, white, and pink he'd see anywhere around the city reminded him of his single life. Now, with a girl he could call his, he doesn't feel so alone. He has someone to spend the holiday with.

Girlfriend. He has a girlfriend. Before he went home from their first date, he asked her where their relationship stood.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" she had asked him. "If so, I'm saying yes." With that yes, they solidified a relationship he wishes had started sooner if he grew some balls to ask her our before they graduated from high school. But he has no regrets. If things happened differently, their relationship would have progressed differently.

The last two weeks has been nothing but pure bliss for him. Amidst being swamped with college, the moments he gets to spend with Bella takes away his consistent stress.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he tells her as they bump fits across the table. They are at a Genki's Sushi restaurant at one of the bigger shopping malls in the city. Fortunately, the holiday falls on a weekend this year and they have the entire day to spend with each other. She went over to his house and together they took a bus to the mall. By the time they arrived at the mall, they chose to eat lunch first before doing window shopping.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Nutty E," she responds, a wide smile on her face. She grabs the touch screen electronic from above their heads and starts to scan through the menu. "What do you want to eat?"

He shrugs. "I'm fine with anything, as long as I'm here with you."

She looks up and rolls her eyes, but the smile on her face doesn't falter. "Say more things like that, I'm gonna have to start calling you Cheesy Nutty E."

"So I'm cheese and nuts? Those are two foods I never thought I'd be called."

"Cheese and nuts aren't a bad combo." One minute later, she hands the tablet to him. "Speaking of food, I'm trying not to spend too much."

He glances at her purchases. Two types of sushi and a small bowl of fried chicken. He snickers. She does love her fried chicken.

"What?"

"You can never resist fried chicken, can't you?"

She giggles. "Nope. If I want to eat, I'll eat." She pats her stomach. "My belly is a large warehouse. If we weren't at Genki's, I'd be eating like a caveman."

He grins. This is why he loves Bella. Unlike most girls, she has no inhibitions when it comes to food. She can eat salad, but she isn't afraid to eat burgers and candy. Food makes her happy, just as much as her other personal interests.

"I'll buy us Jamba Juice after this."

"Edward, you don't have to."

"I want to."

"Don't force yourself to be a proper gentleman. I can pay for my own Jamba Juice."

"I'm not trying to be a gentleman." He reaches across the table and grabs her hands. "Bella, you've made me the happiest man on Earth ever since you told me you have feelings for me. Today would have been another day envying couples who have a reason to celebrate their love. But there's no reason to be envious anymore. I've lived the single life for too long. I love what we are and I want to prove that every time we're together. Let me do this for you. Let me buy you a Jamba Juice. I promise, I'll let you pay for your own next time."

"Edward…" She scoots forward in her seat. "You are seriously amazing, you know that? And as far as I remember, you don't break promises. So yeah, you can buy me a Jamba Juice."

He buys her a Jamba Juice.

Three white roses and a heart-shaped balloon too. It's Valentine's Day. He has to do something to live up to the holiday's meaning.

That's how much he loves her.


	6. SHE - Originality

Chapter 6: SHE – Originality

Fanfiction has become her kryptonite.

Writer's block is a bitch. Life is a bitch. However, at this moment, writer's block is rearing its ugly head more than life itself.

She has written at least 30 one-shots for the last seven years. Why is it difficult for her to type this particular one? This story is based off of Edward. It's her story about her relationship with Edward. It shouldn't be too hard. When it was Jacob, the words flowed easily. It was recalling their memories that was the challenge, not the writing part. For Edward, recalling the memories is easy. The writing part is the challenge. She can't seem to find the right words to describe the part she's currently working on.

He really is different than Jacob. If only the difference didn't apply to this.

Her phone vibrates with a text. She grabs her phone and smiles to see that the text is from Edward.

 **E: Miss you, B. Doing ENG HW. You?**

She quickly texts him a response. **B: Working on a fanfiction. About us. ;)**

A week ago, she showed him her fanfiction account on her Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet. On his spare time, he read through all her fanfics, apparently finishing them in one day. Like the supportive boyfriend he is, he complimented her work and hopes she'll someday finish a multi-chaptered fic (she tried her hand with multi-chaptered fics before, but she realized one-shots are more of her comfort zone).

Her phone vibrates with another text. **E: Us? :D Are you finished yet?**

 **B: Nope. Stuck on our bus encounters.**

 **E: I remember those. Thanks destiny for letting us meet after HS.**

 **B: You call it destiny? I call it fate.**

 **E: Destiny & fate. DF. Can DF be my nickname for you?**

 **B: DF? Almost sounds like DTF. xD**

 **E: What's DTF?**

 **B: Down to fuck.**

 **E: Nvm. DTF'ing is not on my agenda. Yet.**

She laughs. She and Edward reminds her of her two friends Sam and Emily, who are in a relationship. Sam was very innocent when it came to adult-related things. Emily was into the smut, kinks, and other R-rated things that she was aware of during her middle school years. Long story short, Emily changed Sam to the point where he knows the function of a riding crop.

Edward will be Sam. She'll ruin his innocence. In a good way of course.

 **B: Are you saying you would be DTF someday?**

 **E: The f'ing part. You aren't a booty call.**

 **B: Good. I'm a human, not a sex toy.**

DF. Destiny and fate. The nickname sounds fitting for her. Innocent, but has a slight double innuendo.

 **E: Can I still call you DF?**

 **B: Yup. DTF, w/out the T. xD**

 **E: You silly girl xD**

 **B: Nutty E & DF**

 **E: Stop it! I'm ROTFL. Go back to your fanfiction writing. I think I've bothered you enough.**

 **B: You aren't bothering me. I needed a break. I'll get back to it now.**

 **E: Text you later?**

 **B: Looking forward to it.**

She turns off her phone. No more writer's block. Maybe her texting banters with Edward was what she needed to put her in the right mindset.

She resumes working on the story.

One hour later, the story is complete.

Three days later, the story has 60 reviews.

It's her most popular story up to date.

* * *

Nutty E and DF. Hey, if E's gonna have a nickname, B's gonna have to get one too. DF... what the hell was I thinking? xD

60 reviews... I'll get there... someday.


	7. HE - Not Just You

Here is where the real world starts kicking in. Edward's friends return, and this time a little bit of drama will come.

* * *

Chapter 7: HE – Not Just You

Something is up with friends. He has a feeling Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen, and Gianna are keeping something from him.

Since he started dating Bella, his friends have been a bit distant. He divides his time between them and her, so time isn't the issue. But every time he mentions Bella's name, the girls share the same uncomfortable expressions on their faces. When he asked if they don't like Bella as his girlfriend, they disagreed.

"No!" Kate had said. "We don't hate Bella. We never did."

"It's hard to hate her," Carmen seconded. "We have no reason to. She didn't do anything bad in high school. Why hate someone who's good?"

With his friends' reason, he didn't bring up the subject again. They are right. Bella hasn't done anything to them or to anyone that can give her a negative image. She's open-minded. She treats people fairly.

"Even if I hate someone, I try to see their good side," she told him when they went hiking last weekend (hiking isn't her thing, but he convinced her to give it a try).

He sits in a movie theater with his friends (Gianna took a raincheck for today) pondering his worries. Fridays are reserved for him and Bella to spend time with their friends, when they barely have any college classes for the day. As usual, he spends his Fridays watching a movie with his friends while Bella is window-shopping with her best friend Rosalie (he's meeting her for the first time next week).

When the movie is finished, the group exits the theater sharing their reactions about the movie they watched. The scarce tension between them convinces him that perhaps he's being paranoid. His friends are probably still adjusting to the idea of him having a girlfriend. Bella is his first girlfriend. Of course they'd be unprepared to face the day when he can proudly declare himself to be off the single market.

His phone vibrates in his pocket. While his friends are still talking, he takes his phone out.

A text from Bella. **Do I look in red?** Attached is a photo of her wearing a blouse at where it seems to be a Forever 21 store.

He grins. She'd look good in anything. She could wear a potato sack and still be beautiful.

 **E: You planning to buy that? ;)**

 **B: Maybe. It's on sale.**

 **E: Buy it.**

 **B: Okay. ^_^**

"Who you texting?" Irina asks.

"I bet it's Bella," Tanya says, a hint of a jealous tone in her voice. Jealous? Maybe he isn't being paranoid.

"It's Bella. She wants my input on a blouse she wants to buy."

Kate moves to stand by him, looking down at his phone. "That's a nice top! I'd buy that."

Carmen and the others stand closer to Edward. She and Irina voice their agreement.

He glances at Tanya. "Do you think it looks nice?"

She nods. "It does." She says this in a soft tone.

The girls stay silent. Kate, Irina, and Carmen look at each other, their eyes sharing some sort of silent conversation. He can't decipher what it means.

"Screw it," Carmen mumbles. "Edward, we have something to tell you."

"Carmen, don't," Kate says in an alarmed voice.

"Sorry Kate, but I'm on board with Cars on this," Irina says. "He deserves to know."

"Ummm…" Tanya looks at her friends in confusion. "Know what?"

Carmen sighs. "We're doing this for you, girl. Trust me, it's better if he knows."

He has a feeling their conversation relates to the suspicions he has been having lately. "Know what?"

"Cars!" Realization dawns on Tanya. "Don't you dare do it. You said you wouldn't tell!"

"I did." Carmen tugs on Tanya's arm, turns their bodies to face each other, and shakes her shoulders. "Don't you see? This secret has been killing us just as much as it's killing you. Yes, Bella's his girlfriend. But we can't keep our mouths shut forever. Edward is our best friend. We can't move pass this unless it's out in the open."

"Cars-"

Carmen shakes her head. "We've kept this a secret for two years. I can't take it anymore." She glances at Irina. "Do me the honors?"

Irina nods. She looks up at Edward. What she says next are words that were least likely to confirm his suspicions.

"Tanya likes you."


	8. SHE - About Me

Chapter 8: SHE – About Me

 _"Tanya likes me."_

She has an unsettled feeling whenever she thinks about the fact. Tanya likes Edward. She has been since they were in 11th grade.

Before he found out, he had a feeling his friends were hiding something from him. What he didn't expect was that the secret involved feelings. He never would have suspected any of them would fall for him. They have been friends for years. Surely he would have noticed if one of them has a crush on him.

She did. She had a notion it would be Tanya. She was right.

How Edward didn't notice, she doesn't know. There were a few signs back in high school.

Tanya's subtle sidelong glances at him.

Tanya teasing him a lot, much more than Kate, who he has been friends for longer.

Tanya managing to fix his laptop when it wouldn't reboot (he told her the story during their first date).

And the biggest one: Tanya asking him to be her date for senior prom.

She's surprised Tanya didn't jump at the chance to confess her feelings for Edward during senior prom. She wasn't there. Tanya had a great opportunity. She let it slip through her fingertips.

She sees Tanya now, standing alone amongst the crowd of people waiting for a bus. She's a few feet away, busy on her phone like other students. She could see the side of her face, and her forlorn expression stirs a guilty feeling in her stomach. Tanya might be thinking about him. Tanya might have been thinking about that day, when the truth was out in the open. According to Edward, after Irina told him how Tanya felt about him, once he got over his shock, he was forced to tell her that he although he wishes he could return her feelings, his heart belongs to someone else.

That someone else is her.

Tanya could have been her. If she didn't develop feelings for Edward, Tanya could have been his girlfriend. There could have been a chance that for him to eventually fall for her. Tanya could have been in her position. Tanya could have had it all.

Tanya's eyes glances in her direction. The guilty feeling in her stomach hits her harder this time. The glare she expected is instead a somber expression.

 _You're lucky_ is what Tanya's eyes seem to be telling her. His wish came true. Unlike mine.

She blinks a few times. She knows how Tanya feels. She can empathize, not sympathize, for Tanya. She has been there. She knows how it feels to have feelings for someone that's out of her reach, especially when that someone is a close friend. That's how it felt when her friendship with Jacob gradually faded away. She loved someone from afar, feeling helpless, because she believed there was nothing she could do to fix them.

Things are better between her and Jacob. Not back to normal, but at least they are at a mutual understanding. They barely communicate with each other nowadays, but at least they've moved pass a roadblock. They can be acquaintances without dwelling on hurtful memories from the past.

Tanya and Edward will move pass this. They will. They are friends. Friends have to face hardships to ensure that two people are friends in the first place. She has faced her handful of hardships with Rose. Those hardships made her friendship with Rose stronger.

If she and Jacob were able to move past a roadblock of feelings, so can Tanya and Edward.

If she and Rosalie were able to remain best friends despite their temporary times of fallouts, so can Tanya and Edward.

This is their social hurdle.

Even if love (the romantic kind) seems like it's pushing them apart, love (the platonic kind) will remind them that what they have can't be lost.

* * *

Yup. So Tanya likes Edward. Dun dun DUN. And yes, I go to the same college as RL Tanya. She's nice though, so don't flame her character in TLG.

I'll update sometime on Friday. Those next two chaps will contain a milestone.


	9. HE- Comfortable

Chapter 9: HE – Comfortable

As the rest of the semester progresses, so does his relationship with Bella. They familiarize themselves with one another. They learn about each other's quirks and pet peeves. They bond with each other's friends and family.

Yes, family.

Bella stayed over at his house one night for dinner. She met his parents and his younger sisters, Chelsea and Heidi. Like he thought, his family welcomed her with open arms. His parents were relieved that their son found a girl that shares the same values as them. His sisters were ecstatic that she shared their interest in soap operas. Especially the foreign ones. Apparently, foreign dramas have much more to talk about that American dramas. In return, she invited him for dinner with her and her parents. Like she warned him, they were strict around him. But, as they got to see the good intentions he has for their daughter, they gave their stamp of approval of their relationship.

For their friends, she didn't have a problem bonding with his friends. Even though she knew his friends from their high school friends, she knew them as classmates. With the two of them dating, she got to know them more beyond a classroom setting. Thankfully, his friends never brought up the Tanya issue. In fact, she and Tanya found common ground over their natural compassion for children (Tanya wants to be an elementary school teacher, whereas Bella wants to be a pediatric nurse).

The same went with getting to know Bella's friends. He was a casual friend to her friends back in high school, so it was an easy transition from being casual friends to genuine friends. And then there was Rosalie. When he met Rosalie, he was struck by how peculiar and lighthearted she is. He reminded her of a blond version of Bella. She treated him as if she was one of her closest friends rather than someone she just met.

"You're like one of my brothers," she told him. "A little shy, but definitely doesn't hide his nerdiness." In which she followed that comment up with a joke. "But my brother is a bit of an ass, which you aren't." And then proceeded to give him the common don't-hurt-my-best-friend speech. By the end of the speech, when he promised Rose that he won't break Bella's heart, they shook hands and, as quoted by Rose, "passed the best friend test."

Then there's college. As the work in their classes got more challenging, they find it harder to find spare time to be physically with each other. He'd spend afternoons sitting in the university library studying for exams, while Bella spends weekends at home working on project after strenuous project. He cherishes their morning bus rides, because those are the only times that can't be affected by school. Texts, Facebook video chats, and emails are what they fall back on whenever they need to communicate with each other. For an entire semester, they've only been able to go on 12 dates (a majority of them are movie dates).

His motivation is summer break. They'd have all summer to make up for time they poured into their schoolwork. The season will let them go on dates whenever they want to.

Just a little longer. Summer is almost here.

A beautiful summer is within his grasp.


	10. SHE - Six Months

Chapter 10: SHE – Six Months

Tonight is a night for celebration.

They did it. Six months to this day, they met at that bus stop, where Nutty E and DF came to be. One hundred plus days together. One hundred plus days of endless love.

For their six-month anniversary, she and Edward chose to go to their hometown's state fair. The state fair is only around for another two weeks. Before summer (the season itself) officially began, they planned to save their state fair date for their half-anniversary.

"Wow," she says the moment they step foot on state fair grounds. This is her first year of attending the state fair. Her parents aren't the family-bonding type, so she never had the opportunity to go to the state fair. However, this year, she has a reason to go. She has someone to go with her.

"Wow indeed." Edward leads her to the ticket booth. After paying for the entrance fee and purchasing several tickets, they stroll around the area, letting her bask in the experience of her first state fair.

For an hour and a half, the two do a handful of state fair activities. They take photos at a photo booth. They feed each other hot dogs, cotton candy, and smoothies. They play classic carnival activities, each winning two stuffed animals. They watch a live musical performance from a local rock band. They race against each other in the go-kart zone.

As their state fair date draws to a close, they decide to end the night by riding the Ferris wheel.

"Are you sure I won't throw up?" she asks Edward while they stand in line. This is her first time riding a Ferris wheel and from the stories her mother told her about riding Ferris wheels, there's the possibility she could throw up (she gets airsick too).

"Just keep your head up," he tells her, squeezing her hand in reassurance. If you feel nauseous, just close your eyes and lean on my shoulder."

"That works?"

"I did that with Chelsea when I rode the Ferris wheel for the first time."

A few minutes later, it's their turn to board. They board one of the ride's compartments and take a seat. When the ride begins, she tries to keep her breathing even, trying not to look outside the window.

"How do you feel?" he murmurs when they are higher up the ground.

"Fine." Her head doesn't feel dizzy. That's a good sign, right?

He drapes his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "How about now?"

She smiles. "Better."

At the peak of the ride, she looks out the window. She marvels at the view. The lights. The colors. The people. Simplistic beauty. If she was a photographer, this would be a picture-perfect moment.

"It's beautiful," she whispers.

"I know." He kisses her hair.

She turns to look at him. "Are you talking about me or what's out the window?"

He smirks. "Both."

"You're beautiful too. In a manly way, of course."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he replies with a chuckle. He places his hands on her cheek. "I love you."

Her heart beats a bit faster. She has yet to say those three words back to him. He says those words to her all the time, but she could never say them back. She always says "I know." She knows he knows that he won't rush her to say the three words back. Hell, she hasn't even told him about Jacob yet (she's waiting for the right time to tell Edward what happened between them). All he knows is that love screwed with her in high school. It's true, but that's barely scratching the surface. It's the who she'll someday have to tell him.

Not tonight. Tonight is about them. And the way he gazes at her with genuine love that touches to the core of her own being makes the words slip naturally out of her mouth.

"I love you too."

He blinks. "W-What did you say?"

"I love you." She scoots closer to him. "I love you, Edward. You're my Nutty E and I'm a fool for making you wait so long to tell you that."

His mouth opens slightly. "DF…"

"I mean it. I love you." She does. Six months is enough time for her to feel that emotion. She has fallen so deep that she's in love with him.

A sound grabs her attention. She peeks at window and sees fireworks appearing in the night sky. What an ironic perfect moment.

"You tell me you love me, then fireworks appear. You are one lucky charm."

She laughs. "I'm your lucky charm."

"That you are."

She's lucky. The universe is listening to her.

Love is no longer a curse.

* * *

Yup! B has now told E she loves him. *throws confetti in the air* ILY's in a relationship is a milestone, right? Six month is enough time for B to fall for E to this point.


	11. HE - Short

Chapter 11: HE – Short

College has finally reared its ugly side on him. Unfortunately, that ugly side happens to be one he can't seem to defend himself from. It's only the first week for the first semester of his second year and already he's wishing for it to end.

He's in a faceplant position at one of the tables in the university library, his hands at his ears, attempting to block off what little sound there is in the library. He's restraining himself from giving in to the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

 _"Holy shit, we have a short one."_

 _"Hey boy! What are you doing here?"_

 _"There's no such thing as a short doctor!"_

Why did he pick that time and professor for his physiology lecture class? Why did he end up in a class with students that flaunted their monetary status? Why were the student so tall? As soon as he walked into the room, those students gave him one glance and judged him.

He thought college was supposed to be a safe place. The students he met in his first year were nice. They didn't make fun of his height. Being 5'5" isn't necessarily short, but it is when your classmates are close to or above six feet tall. If it was Bella in that class, those boys wouldn't care. There are many short girls in his physiology lecture class. Those boys would have to make fun of the majority if they used their arrogance on the opposite sex.

His phone vibrates next to him. He lifts his head up. It's a text from Bella.

 **B: Pharm is kicking my ass & it's only the first day. How are your classes?**

He groans softly. His biggest insecurity has finally come to light. If he's going to survive the semester, he'll need Bella to vent his troubles to.

 **E: Not bad. Phys lect = your pharm class**

 **B: We're in the same boat: the SSS**

 **E: What's the SSS?**

 **B: Super Stress Syndrome xD**

He chuckles. Super Stress Syndrome. Her made-up term is catching on to him.

 **E: What are the symptoms to SSS?**

 **B: Oh, you know. Headaches. Exhaustion. Possible nightmares. An addiction to Starbucks.**

 **E: I have all 4**

 **B: Me too. We'll suffer together.**

Oh, DF. If only she knew just how much he's suffering right now. He's craving her presence. He dreads going to his next class in an hour. It's another health-related class and he worries one of those boys will be there too. Especially James. James is the worst out of that group.

 **E: When's your next class?**

 **B: In 10 min. Gtg. TTYL Nutty E. Love you**

 **E: Ok. See you later DF. And ILY too**

He no longer has the urge to cry. His sadness is gone for the time being. Thanks to his dear girlfriend, she distracted him from the thought of his tormentors for a few minutes. He could have told her about his tormentors during their texting banters, but that would have made her worry. He didn't want her to worry now, when she still has another class to focus on. Besides, it seemed childish to resort to texting to communicate his problems to her. He wants to socialize with her face-to-face. He wants to hear her advice when she's right there next to him rather than from miles away.

He's blessed to have Bella.

What has he done to deserve a magnificent girl like her?

* * *

Pharm means pharmocology for short. That's what my friends who took that class call it.

I know 5'5" isn't exactly too short, but height differences are a thing for some people to taunt about.


	12. SHE - Crossroads

Chapter 12: SHE – Crossroads

Her hunches have returned.

She hasn't had her hunches since last year, before she found out how Edward felt about her. Throughout that semester, she relied on her gut feelings (which she called hunches) to tell her when she'd see Edward again. Her hunches are a gift and a curse. A gift, because her hunches never failed her. A curse, because her hunches are usually half-right and the times that those hunches are one hundred percent right are when she didn't want to be right. Like when she had that hunch the day before Thanksgiving, when her instincts told her Edward wouldn't make it that afternoon so she could ask him about his letter (that was also the same day she received his Facebook message about his forced rejection to her).

Today, she has a hunch something would happen while she and Rose have their usual Friday mall hang-out. It's the end of her first week back in school.

She didn't expect for that hunch to be like a slap to the face. She would have rather taken a literal slap to the face than this hunch. She wanted her hunch to give her a sign that Emmett is back from Wales (his family were supposed to come back in February, but something came up and they won't be back home until sometime later this year). But no, her hunch had to be something like this.

She and Rose are inside the mall's Hallmark store when it happens. While they are in the card section browsing for possible birthday cards for them to give to Jasper, the boyfriend of Rose's cousin Alice who also happens to be one of their good friends, she sees someone outside that catches her eye.

"No fucking way," she whispers.

Rose leans closer to her. "What's up, Peaches?" Peaches is Rose's nickname for her. It's a reference to their favorite Disney Channel show at the moment, Girl Meets World.

She doesn't speak. Instead, she tugs on Rose's arm and practically drags her outside.

"Whoa girl. What's gotten into you?"

She doesn't let go of Rose's arm until they are outside. The closer they reach the person that caught her attention, the warmer the inside of her body gets.

The person turns his head. He looks at their direction. A familiar pair of brown eyes locks immediately on her.

He gasps. So does she.

"Bella?" he says. He walks closer to them until they are a few feet apart.

She bites the inside of her cheek. She wants to scream. She hasn't seen him face-to-face in over a year.

"Uh…" Rose darts her eyes between the both of them. "Who's your friend, Peaches?"

She can't speak. The initial shock hasn't worn off. All she could do is stare at him and freak out in her mind.

"I'm Jacob," the boy says.

"Jacob…" Rose gapes. "Wait, the Jacob? You're Jacob? Peaches, am I hearing this right?" She nudges her shoulder.

"Y-yes," she manages to stutter out. "Hey Jake. It's been a while."

"Yeah." He gives her a smile. Damn, that smile. In middle school, that smile infuriated her. In high school, that smile made her feel like an innocent schoolgirl. In college? That smile is making her feel both of those emotions.

"How've you been?" she asks, trying to keep her voice even.

"Fine. You?"

"Same. You alone?"

He nods. "For now. Embry is on his way." Embry is Jake's best friend. She and Embry used to be friends in middle school, but after her fallout with Jake, she too drifted away from him.

"I see." She glances at Rose. "This is Rosalie, my best friend."

He looks at Rose, smiling at her now. "Hi, Rosalie." He extends a hand.

Rose shakes his hand. "Hi Jacob. You can just call me Rose if you want."

"Rose. Not that I'm hitting on you or anything, but that's a pretty name."

"Aw. Thank you."

She's beginning to reconsider that slap to her face.

He sighs. "Well, I have to go now. Bella, it's nice seeing you again. And nice meeting you Rose."

"You too, Jacob." Rose nudges her again.

"Yeah!" she says, snapping herself out of her daze. "I guess I'll see you around."

"We have Facebook, Bella. Just give me a message whenever you'd like to talk."

"Sure."

His gaze lingers on the girls for a few more seconds before he waves and walks away in the opposite direction.

She went one year without seeing Jake. She's over him. She has Edward. But that encounter was completely awkward. She knew she'd have to run into him someday, though she believed that encounter wouldn't be for another several years or so. At least their brief times they did communicate on Facebook were via words. Online, she could easily ignore him if she wanted to stop their conversation on her own terms. Face-to-face, she doesn't have that power. She wouldn't be able to flee.

What the hell is wrong with the universe?

Why did the universe choose now to bring back the past?

* * *

Curveball! Jacob was mentioned too many times, so now he finally makes his first appearance. How shall things be between him and B?


	13. HE - Before Him

This is a big chapter guys. This will open up a huge revelation about Jacob.

* * *

Chapter 13: HE – Before Him

It seems as if he's not the only one with personal demons. He senses Bella is battling her own troubles too.

A full month has advanced into the first semester. He's learning to deal with James and his other tormentors. It's a Saturday afternoon and Bella is over at his house. He's helping her study for her first pharmacology exam. Because she's taking the class online, she just has to make sure to take the exam at the testing center in her college's library by the end of next week. She plans to take it Wednesday morning, which is one of the little free time slots she has.

They are taking a break now. Her pharm textbook is on the floor. They are sitting cross-legged on his bed. Her head is on his shoulder, eyes closed and breathing steady.

"Edward?" she murmurs.

"Hmmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, B."

"If you ran into a girl you once had a crush on, what would you do?"

He chuckles. "What kind of a question is that?"

She lifts her head, opens her eyes, and looks at him. "It's hypothetical."

He shrugs. "I don't really know. You're the only girl I've ever had a crush on. And, well, we're together and I have no plans of letting you go."

"I know." She sighs. "But imagine that there is someone else. How would you react?"

He ponders his response. Before Bella, the only other crush he had on was Scarlett Johansson. For a teen, it was normal to have a crush on a celebrity. But a crush on a girl around his age that he talks to often didn't happen, not until Bella. His life wasn't a movie. He held a geeky mind, so he wouldn't have minded being into girls until he became a full-fledged adult.

"I'd be surprised," he starts. "That would be my initial reaction. I'd be unprepared and probably be a mess in front of the girl. Not that I'm shy around every girl I see. You know I'm already a bit shy as a person. It would definitely be awkward, but I'd just see what happens. Talk to her for a bit and see how things are going."

"Ah."

"Why? Did you see a former crush?"

She hesitates with her response. "Yes."

"Who?"

She pauses again. "Someone. I…" She grabs his hand and squeezes it firmly. "To me, he's not just a crush. Once upon a time, he was everything to me. When things went bad between us, I lost a part of myself."

"Bella…" Is this it? Is this the boy she mentioned that made her conflicted about love in high school? Is this boy the reason why it took her so long for her to tell him "I love you"?

"His name was Jacob Black."

Jacob Black. He knows Jacob. He was one of his classmates in honors biology in 10th grade. He remembers Jacob as someone who was funny and one of the few people who got an A in that class, yet a bit reserved. He remembers Jacob as someone who carried a guitar with him to class at least twice a week. He remembers Jacob as someone that he overheard girls in their honors bio class talk highly about his hot looks.

In other words, Jacob was everything he's not.

He had absolutely no idea Jacob and Bella even knew each other.

"What happened between you two?" he asks.

The question puts out everything in the open.

She tells him everything. Everything, as in how she met Jacob in sixth grade in a science class. How they didn't get along at first, but gradually became a friendly rivalry once they found they had common interests. How they ended up crushing on each other and pursuing a long-distance relationship in eighth grade when she moved to a different city miles away from her hometown. How they remained friends when they broke up four days later. How Jacob told her he was in love with her two years later, two months before she was slated to move back to their hometown when her parents fought with her relatives (her family and some of her relatives lived under one roof), and she felt guilty about not feeling the same way, so she asked for time to think. How they were awkward each other when she moved back and transferred to their high school. How she realized she was in love with Jacob too six months after his confession. How he shattered her trust in boys when she confessed his feelings to him and he told her he had a girlfriend. How she couldn't understand if he was really in love with her. How they went the next one and a half years not speaking to each other until she messaged him on Facebook during their 12th grade CTSO conference and tried to fix things with him. How she learned that he realized before she did that the love he held for her was more friendship love than romantic love. How, when she finally got her answer, did she begin letting him go. How she and Rose ran into Jacob at the mall two weeks ago and she doesn't know what to do next.

"I couldn't fall for you until after high school because my heart was invested in someone else," she concluded. "Jake and I fucked things up. If I didn't run away from him and gave him a chance, I wouldn't have broken my heart."

"But if you didn't break your heart, you and I wouldn't have happened."

"Exactly." Her eyes brim with tears. "I'm terrified of losing you. Jake wasn't the one because we rushed into things. You… you're the one that made me whole. You make me complete."

He can't help it. He tackles her to the bed and kisses her senseless.

It makes sense now.

And god, will he never make her feel like that again.


	14. SHE - Rebuilding Road

Chapter 14: SHE – Rebuilding Road

A weight was lifted off her shoulders.

Telling Edward about Jacob was her secret that was a make-it-or-break-it. She knew that Edward wouldn't be the type of guy that would run for the hills with that confession, although a part of her, the part that overthinks things, did have doubts. For a moment, she considered what would happen if he didn't take it as well as she hoped. If he didn't, she wouldn't have known what to do. Her fragile relationship with Jake felt as if she had a million broken hearts. With Edward, she believes that the day they break up is when her heart would be torn apart, left to shreds, and possibly never be put back together.

But things worked out. Unlike Jacob, she didn't run away. She confronted the situation. They took the time to talk it out. He told her how relieved he was that she told him her story. He listened and reassured her that her mistakes weren't wasted.

"He taught you what you needed in a boy," he told her. "You needed someone that could wait for you to love him."

Edward waited for her. He waited three years. He was patient. He cherished their moment. He didn't rush her when they began their relationship.

That's what true love is about. For them, timing was key. Yuanfen (she learned about the word from an image Rose showed her on Tumblr) was the answer. Destiny and fate.

What will happen to her and Jake? She doesn't know. But Edward does want her to do something.

"Talk to him on Facebook," he suggested. "He doesn't seem to mind if you message him. Maybe all you two need is a little push. Use social media to your advantage."

Facebook would be a solution. She and Jake are acquaintances. Someone has to break the awkwardness between them. Just like the messages they shared during the CTSO conference, there won't be progress if neither of them makes a move.

She'll get to it this weekend. She has something else to worry about.

Emmett.

"Kill me now and sacrifice me to the gods," Rose groans, leaning her head on her shoulder, her blonde hair ticking her shoulder blades. "I wait this long, and now this happens?"

It's the last Friday of September and the two of them are sitting on a bench outside of Starbucks (there are three Starbucks places in the mall, but this one is their favorite place). They are discussing a piece of news that the two of them anticipated for months, the news they thought may never come.

The McCarthys are back. They arrived yesterday and, according to Rose's uncle (he and Emmett are good friends), heard from Sarah (the mall's captain for the security guards), is dropping by to her house later today to talk and meet Rose face-to-face for the first time.

"Fate finally woke up," she says, leaning her head against her best friend.

"I'm not ready!"

"You don't have to be! I'd be freaking out just as much as you." If she was placed in Rose's shoes, she too would be having a meltdown.

"What do I do?" Rose lifts her head and takes a sip from her chai tea latte. "What if he doesn't like what he sees? What if I say something stupid? What if he tries to kiss me? I haven't had a proper first kiss (hers was stolen from a guy when she was 13, but she doesn't consider it a real first kiss since it was a peck on the lips and she didn't want it to happen). And oh god, what if he changed while he was in Wales? What if he's a jerk? What if-"

"Girl, calm down." She drapes an arm across Rose's shoulders. "Breathe. You're worrying too much. I was like that too when Edward and I first started going out. You remember how many skirts I tried on."

Rose laughs. "You went with leather because you said ' leather is better.'"

"Which is absolutely true."

"So what do I do?"

"Be yourself. If you're nervous, let him know that. He's probably gonna be just as nervous as you. Who wouldn't be? Like you said, he moped around most of the time while he was in the UK with nothing but that picture of you at the water park to keep him company. You caught his eye. Destiny brought you two together for a reason, and now fate has decided that now is your time."

"Wow, Peaches. Edward taught you well."

She giggles. "He wouldn't be my boyfriend if there wasn't something about him that made me want to keep him."

"You think Emmett will be a keeper?"

"I don't think. I know."

She does. She and Edward are meant to be.

So will Rose and Emmett.

* * *

Emmett will make a physical appearance in the story soon!

In real life, I still waiting for RL Emmett to come back. But me and RL Rose do know he'll be back sometime this year. We just don't know when.


	15. HE - Is It Enough

Chapter 15: HE – Is it Enough

The insults are getting worst, and he doesn't know what to do. Curse him for being an introvert.

 _"Hey shorty!"_

 _"Shortest doctor in existence."_

 _"Mr. Cullen will see you now. Yeah, they'll see how short he is."_

 _"Shorty has a girlfriend? I bet she's taller than you!"_

He's in the cafeteria studying for his next physiology lecture exam in about half an hour. He knows the material, so he's reviewing to make sure he understands every fact, diagram, and illustration of the units he's being tested on. But, while he studied, his mind couldn't help but dread the next batch of insults waiting for him today.

Two more months. Two more months until the end of the semester. Then he can have winter break away from James and his crew. He can hope that the classes he has next semester would be ones away from his tormentors.

Becoming a doctor is his dream. It has been since he was eight and one of his classmates died from a car accident. The news shook him hard that he vowed to be someone that could save lives. He chose to be a doctor because he realized science is what saves people. Medicine. Human interaction. He learned to embrace math and science. He learned to treat people fairly and try not to make enemies.

It's almost the same with Bella. She wants to be a nurse because she wants to make a difference. When Rose suffered from depression during the months after she transferred to their high school and the distance made her unable to visit her during her best friend's worst times, she vowed to be someone that can be there for others when those people lacked loved ones to care for them. Her natural compassion makes her an easy person to talk to, to trust. Even though math isn't her best subject, she reminds herself that the world needs more compassionate individuals. The world would be in ruins if less people took action.

"Health is such a big issue, but not everyone is doing something about it," she said when he first told her about his tormentors. "It doesn't matter what you look like or how you grew up or how smart you are. To be a health professional, you need to have a big heart. If those bullies don't have that, then why the hell did they choose to be in the medical field in the first place?"

Is it enough? Can having a big heart be enough? James and his friends don't seem to have it, yet they are having great grades for physiology (he overheard them bragging about their A's whenever the class has exams). He's struggling to understand how people like James could treat patients with terminal illnesses.

 _Is this worth it?_

Bella is what makes him hang on. She motivates him to study hard and endure the insults.

 _"They're idiots. They don't know what it's like to grow up like us, being middle class but having a community behind us."_

 _"Don't let their words get to you. They're saying it to make themselves smarter."_

 _"They're smart. Smart asses."_

He looks down at his phone. 10:40. Time to head to class.

He gathers his things and exits the cafeteria. Halfway in his walk to class, his phone vibrates in his pocket.

He takes it out. He grins. A text from Bella.

 **B: Good luck on your exam! I have a surprise waiting for you when you're done.**

A surprise? They are meeting up after school. She didn't say anything about having something for him.

 **E: Spoil me. What is it?**

 **B: Seeeeecret ;)**

 **E: Tell me! I can't wait.**

 **B: Alright fine. I baked you brownies.**

 **E: Brownies? When did you bake them?**

 **B: Last night.** Attached to the text is a photo with Bella holding a tray of brownies, each one labeled I 3 Nutty E on the top with blue icing.

 **E: I'm hungry now**

 **B: That was the plan**

 **E: You have them now?**

 **B: In my backpack**

 **E: Grrr… I want some now**

 **B: You can wait a couple hours**

 **E: I'll try**

 **B: Best of luck! ILY**

 **E: Love you too DF**

He puts his phone away. He's at the building of his physiology class.

He can do this. The exam and his dream. He won't fail.

He refuses to let that happen.

* * *

Ah, gotta love a significant other that'll bake for you when you need it.


	16. SHE - Crossed Fingers

Chapter 16: SHE – Crossed Fingers

The waiting game is a silent killer.

It's almost the end of the semester. She submitted her application for her community college's nursing program back in September. The email for the students that got accepted would be coming in sometime next week.

"You're gonna get in," Edward assures her. It's another hang-out Friday with Rose at the mall. This week, the girls decided for their hang-out to be a double-date. Now that Rose has a boyfriend (things worked out with Emmett when they met face-to-face for the first time, talked things out, and went on a few dates), she's thrilled that they are finally able to fulfill her goal of double-dating with her best friend.

Right now, the four are eating lunch at the food court, courtesy of Emmett (being a security guard at their favorite mall gives him connections with some workers). With the prospect of achieving her dream hanging in the balance, she asked her friends what she'd do if she isn't accepted.

"Ed's right." Rose takes a bite of fried rice from her mixed plate. "You busted your ass off for a year and a half with all the classes you took. Your blood, sweat, and tears shouldn't be for nothing."

"You're a smart girl," Emmett agreed. "The program wouldn't know what they're missing if they don't accept a girl that not only has the brain, but the heart too."

"True." She squeezes Edward's hand from underneath the table. "But 100 plus other applicants have brains and hearts too. How am I supposed to know I stood out?"

"You stand out to us," Edward answers. "You're nerd smart and geek smart. You understand chemicals and organs, but you also understand fanfiction and video games."

"You're a free thinker," Rose seconds. "You think outside the box. You don't take shit. You aren't judgmental. A zombie apocalypse could happen and instead of panicking, you'd be the one to find the nearest weapon to take out a zombie."

"You aren't afraid of needles," Emmett joins in. "You were here for my girl when I was gone. You're the kind of person that will care for any patient. You'd stay by their side until their last breath."

Rose rolls her eyes mockingly. "That was all sweet till you said the last breath part. It's not like every patient Bella would deal with will turn out dead in a few weeks."

"It was a joke!"

She chuckles. "I live for sarcasm, Em, so thanks for that. You too, Rose and Nutty E." She takes a bite of macaroni salad out of her own mixed plate. "Ya'll have good points. I'm different and I should be proud of that. What matters is my application reflects who I am inside and out. If I don't get in, at least I can say I tried."

"And if you don't, I'll bribe them with a million dollars to let you in," Edward jokes.

"Where would you find a million dollars?"

"I'll rob a bank. I'd do it for you."

She giggles. "If you do, good luck with the cameras."

Emmett raises his order of Pepsi in the air that came with his meal. "A toast to Bella getting into the nursing program. We've got your back no matter what happens."

The three mirror Emmett's move.

"Cheers," the three answer in unison, bumping their drinks to Emmett's in a toast.

She smiles. They're right. Her best friend, her best friend's boyfriend (now one of her closest male friends), and her boyfriend are here to support her. She didn't come all this way for her efforts to go in vain. This is her dream. This is what she worked toward since high school. The three people she's with believe in her.

She too should believe in herself.

* * *

I'm pretty much gonna be like Bella when I'm applying to the nursing program in the fall.

I'm on a mission to finish this by next week or the following week, so for you guys, I'll be updating more than one two chapters almost every day next week. But it'll start today. Two more chapters after this! :D


	17. HE - Can Do

Chapter 17: HE – Can Do

Dreams do come true. The news she (and he) have been waiting for has come, and it brings nothing but celebration.

"I GOT IN!" Bella screamed from his phone's speaker when she called a few minutes ago. It's his break period before his physiology lecture. He was skimming through his notes from last class when she called him and told him she got the acceptance email.

"Really? You did? Congrats!" Even though she can't see him, he's beaming. He's incredibly happy for her. Her anticipation was his anticipation for the last several days.

"Thank you!" He can feel her joy radiating through the phone. "I was so worried for the last several days. When I got the email, I was bracing myself for the rejection. To be one of those 20 people chosen…" Her voice starts to crack. "This is a dream, Edward. Out of 100 plus people that applied for the program, I was someone that the evaluators believed in."

"Don't forget me," he says. "Rose, Emmett, and I told you to believe in yourself. I guess all my nights of praying you'd get in paid off."

"You prayed for me? I thought you weren't overly religious."

"I'm not. But it doesn't hurt to pray."

"True." She sighs. "I gotta go. Class is starting in a few minutes. We'll talk more later."

"Alright. Love you, DF. Congrats again!"

"Love you too! Bye!"

He hangs up. The smile on his face doesn't fade away. She got in. Her goals from their high school days are slowly being achieved. This is only the first step. Once next semester begins, the real hard work will begin. As for him, he has got two more grueling years to endure until the real hard work during medical school begins.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots one of James' crew enter the cafeteria. He quickly looks away and focuses his attention back on his notes. As long as he doesn't look, it makes the chances of facing one of them less likely.

 _"Don't let James be the reason for you to give up. You didn't give up before he was in the picture."_

He glances at his phone. Bella went through her own struggles to get into the nursing program. He was there to support her during those last several days. He and her friends encouraged her to continue chasing after his dreams.

What makes it any different for him?

Her overthinking tendencies was her obstacle. James is his. If she can make it pass her obstacle, so can he. James and his crew won't bring him down. He can make it through this. He can accomplish his dream just like Bella is doing. She's right. He can't let reasons for him to give up drive him to do just that. He has to keep going. He has to push forward. He shouldn't let the tormenting get into his head.

 _They're just saying words. Words won't physically hurt you._

Sticks and stones may break bones, but words will only mentally hurt him. It's physical pain he'd be more worried about. At least those words haven't made go through drastic measures yet. He isn't that far gone to think about taking his own life away.

It's just words. He shouldn't dwell on the bad words.

It's the good words that matter in the long run.

* * *

Remember kids, follow yourr dreams, no matter what happens.


	18. SHE - Stress Reliever

Chapter 18: SHE – Stress Reliever

No matter how many times she says this, it's always true: Nutty E is truly the best boyfriend ever.

 **E: Little Red Riding Hood handled the Big Bad Wolf. You can do that too ;)**

She grins down at her phone, feeling her insides melt at Edward's latest motivational text. People weren't kidding when they say nursing programs in college is hard. It is. The stress reminds her of her senior year in high school, when the less fortunate buckled under the stress and suffered from senioritis. She witnessed many of her classmates go through that. She almost did. If it wasn't for her issues with Jacob back then, her mind would have been more wrapped up around school than she was supposed to.

She texts back to Edward. **The big bad wolf isn't as scary as failing**

Late-night studying for the program had begun within the first week. Now that she got a part-time job at the local library, she became dependent on bottles of Starbucks frappes and cans of Red Bulls to keep her awake. On the bright side, the job she has is one in an environment she feels at home at (she fears a future where libraries no longer exist when all books go digital). On the brighter side, Rose is starting college next semester (her gap year became two when she needed more time to save money from her job at Forever 21) and because her best friend will attend her community college, she can see Rose at school more. On the brightest side, she has a boyfriend that's aware of her stress and does his best to keep her powering through.

Since the first day of the program, Edward leaves her motivational texts at the start of every school day. Sometimes the texts are simply along the lines of "Do your best today!" Sometimes the texts are motivational quotes he finds online (he tries to find ones that she'd stumble across on Tumblr). Other times, just like today, his texts provide little metaphors.

Finishing the program is the wolf. The program is her challenge. But the wolf isn't as scary as feeling that the program is too hard for her and she drops out.

No.

She wouldn't take the easy way out. Life isn't always easy. She can't take the easy road. The easy road would just bite her back in the ass someday. Taking the road less traveled by would make all the difference. She knew going into nursing would mean going into a field where she'd compete against many others that share the common dream. But she made it this far. To back out now would mean wasting all the efforts she made to get into the program in the first place. It wouldn't fair to her professors. It wouldn't be fair to herself.

She looks back at her phone. Another text from Edward. **Failure not an option**

She sends a response. **Success it is**

Two years. That's how long the program is. Twenty-four months. In her case, 21 months left.

She can handle 21 more months.

She accepted the challenge.

It's up to her to achieve it.


	19. HE - Halfway There

I vow to complete this by next week. IT'S MY MISSION. I'm a bit behind on chapters, but I'll work on more during the weekend when I'm not studying for finals. So expect a chunk of chapters updated next week.

* * *

Chapter 19: HE – Halfway There

One more year complete. Three months away from James' crew. What a relief.

"To two years in hell!" Emmett toasts, holding a bottle of Diet Coke in the air. He's at Emmett's house, waiting for Bella and Rose. He and Bella finished their last final exams today and they decided to unwind by hanging out with Rose and Emmett. The girls are yet to arrive, but when they do, Emmett will drive the four of them to an arcade, where they'll hang out for the rest of the day.

He holds up his own bottle of Diet Coke, clicking it with Emmett's. "To two year in hell! May the next two years treat me well, or else I wouldn't know what to do."

Emmett chuckles. "You got me, man."

"True." Besides Eric, Emmett is the closest guy friend he has. He might even call Emmett his best friend in terms of the male friends he has. He has a big heart for him. For a British security guard, he loves that Emmett is a softie when it comes to Rose. He wouldn't have waited months to return back home and truly get to know Rose if he wasn't serious about her.

"Hey boys!" He looks up. The girls are here. Rose and Bella are each holding a Victoria Secret's bag.

"Whoa." Emmett eyes the bags the girls are holding. "Do I wanna know what's in there?"

"It's not lingerie if that's what you're hoping for," Rose says.

"I wasn't thinking along those lines."

"Liar."

"I wasn't!"

"Sure you weren't," Bella quips. She puts the bag down on the coffee table and makes her away over to him.

She kisses him briefly on the lips in greeting. "How long were you with the cheeky monkey without us?" Cheeky monkey is the nickname Rose gave to Emmett before they officially met.

"Not long. How were your exams?"

"Not bad. I'm just glad they're finished."

"Same here." He takes a sip out of his Coke bottle. "Do you want a drink before we go?"

"Nope." She reaches into her Victoria Secret's bag and pulls out a can of strawberry guava flavored iced tea. "Brought 'em with me. Rose and I actually brought snacks and drinks for today. That way, we don't have to spend too much money for lunch later."

He smiles. She's thoughtful, as always. "I would've bought you lunch."

"I know. Which is why we brought the food and drinks. Compromise, right?"

"Yeah." He kisses her on the nose. "We should compromise more often."

"Agreed."

"Are you two finished with the fluff?" he hears Rose ask.

Bella laughs, turning around and leaning against the side of his body. "You and Em were fluffing it out there too."

"I think you two were having way more fluff there."

"Hey! You two have your intense fluff moments too! Remember beach day?"

Emmett's cheeks turn slightly red. "You saw that?"

"How could I not? You were looking so ready to screw her when you saw her in that bathing suit!"

"I did see that boner," he muses, remembering Emmett's reaction to seeing Rose in a bathing suit for the first time. He too had that "I'm screwed" reaction when he saw Bella like that on a beach date when they decided to go in the water.

Rose rolls her eyes mockingly, holding Emmett's hand. "You are a guy. It's a guy reflex."

"Ay ay," he says. "So ready to go?"

Emmett nods, picking up the car keys and his phone on the coffee table. "I still get hard-on's when I think about beach day."

So do I.

If he has got two more years, at least he has the three people in this room to help him live through it.


	20. SHE - The Leap

Chapter 20: SHE – The Leap

The hole Jacob Black left her in the past no longer exists.

"You did? See! I told you it would happen!" From a computer screen, she beams at the face of a boy that she's glad has become her friend again.

"Thanks, B. I knew you would say that." He smiles. "I wished I did American Idol, but The Voice is just as great too. The judges will be listening to my voice more before they see what I look like."

"Say hi to Adam for me, alright?"

"I thought the guys from 5SOS were your music crushes."

"So is Adam! And c'mon, who wasn't a puddle of goo when Adam did Sugar?"

"I see your point."

She had taken Edward's advice and messaged Jacob the weekend after she gave advice to Rose about how her best friend should handle reuniting with Emmett. Just like the messages she exchanged with Jacob during the CTSO conference, the awkwardness stood. The time between the CTSO conference and the day they ran into each other at the mall were messages exchanged that didn't last long. Those messages only existed to ensure they were aware they still knew each other. But the last several months have been different. Now in her third year in college, the friendship she has with her former crush is back to how it was before. Her friendship with Jacob is no longer in bits and pieces. Those bits and pieces were put back together and they are close friends again, just like she hoped they would.

"I'm hoping for Adam to push his button," he says. "Damn, I'd be happy if I get any button pushed at all."

"You'll get a button pressed. You weren't one of the nominations for Most Talented in our high school yearbook for nothing."

"Boo, I lost to Tia on that."

"She was an artist. And her artwork was hella good."

"True." He taps his fingers on the table. "My life would change forever if I make it pass auditions. Imagine if I make it to live shows! I'll be the luckiest man on earth if I get that far."

"You will get that far! But first, you gotta make it pass auditions. What song are you singing?"

"Fall for You."

A mix of emotions runs through her body. Of course he would pick that song, the serenading song from a band with the word "serenade" in its name.

"You'll be making all the girls scream," she tells him.

"Yes. But you know how much I love Secondhand Serenade. It was one of the first songs I learned to play when I first started getting music lessons."

"I remember. It's because of you that I got into that band."

"Is Fall for You still your favorite Secondhand Serenade song?"

"Before. Now it's A Twist in my Story."

"Oh! I love that one too!"

She chuckles. "You love all their songs."

"Why yes I do." He maneuvers his chair a few inches away from the screen and grabs his guitar. "Want a sample?"

"Sure." Who would pass up the opportunity to see a hot boy perform a serenading song? Having a boyfriend won't stop her from denying that chance. If she can do it with watching YouTube covers, she could do it with Jacob too.

He strums a few notes on his guitar, then starts singing. As she sits back and watches him do a live cover of a song she listened to countless times, the memories of the two of them start passing through her mind.

They are okay now. She loves Edward. She loves Jacob, but as a friend. She has let go of her past. Her past in the present is something she's content with being purely friends with.

She took the leap to restore a friendship she once believed could never be recovered.

The leap paid off.

* * *

Heads up: the next few chapters will have several time lapses.


	21. HE - Guy's Perspective

Hey guys. So my WiFi at home sucks, and I still haven't finished typing up the rest of TLG. I'll have a bunch of chapters updated today, and I promise you, the last update will be the rest of the chapters of the story. By the next update (idk when that'll be), TLG will be complete.

Now on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 21: HE – Guy's Perspective

If his girlfriend gets a part-time job at the local library, his part-time job is something similar to that. To be honest, he understands why Bella has an obsession with books. Books can be a person's best friend.

He got a part-time job working at the bookstore at his university during the second semester of his third year. He has only been working for two weeks and he actually likes what he's doing. The bookstore reminds him so much of Bella. The textbooks, the school supplies, the notebooks, everything. It's the simple kind of place she'd spend hours in. If she was trapped in this bookstore overnight, she could probably finish reading one of the larger textbooks the bookstore has.

Finished with work for the day, he says a quick goodbye to two of his co-workers, Collin and Brady, and heads to the bus stop. He's exhausted and plans to doze off during the bus ride home. On the way to the bus stop, his phone vibrates in his pocket.

With tired eyes, he takes his phone out. Kate's number is on the screen.

He answers the call. "What's up, Kate?"

"Hello to you too, Ed."

"What's up?"

"You seem tired. I can call back later."

"No. I'm fine. What did you wanna talk about?"

"I wanted your advice on something. Already asked the girls for their opinion, but of course, I need a guy's perspective too. Are you sure though? We can talk when you get home."

He lets out a little yawn. "I don't mind."

"Okay. Well, remember Garrett?"

"Garrett? The one that Irina likes?"

"Yeah, that Garrett. He, ummm… asked me out."

That catches his attention. "Really? When?"

"A couple hours ago. I told him I'd think about it." She sighs. "I don't know what to do. I told everyone, even Irina. They say I should go on the date."

"Wait… Irina said yes on you going on a date with her crush?"

"Uh-huh. But I think she's just saying that so she wouldn't look like she's jealous. I don't wanna hurt her, Ed. Garrett's a cool guy. I can see myself being in a relationship with him."

He takes a moment to think. Kate is in a dilemma. This is the kind of situation he would want Bella's help on. He may be the only boy in his group of friends, though even his "guy's perspective" on situations like this would be mediocre. He's as confused as Kate is, to be honest.

He tries to put himself in Bella's shoes. "Do you like Garrett?"

"I guess."

"If you said no, would you regret it?"

Kate hesitates with her response. "Maybe."

"If you said no, what would you do if he told you he likes you?"

"Ed, what are you saying?"

"I'm trying to help, Kate. I'm as indecisive as you. I'm channeling my inner Bella."

She laughs. "Bella's got you wrapped around her little finger."

"You have no idea."

"You are asking the right questions."

"It is what Bella would do."

"She would, right? And you have a point. If I say no to Garrett, I might look back and regret this later."

"So will you go on the date?"

He can sense her grinning when she replies. "I'll give it a go. It's one date."

"Great!" He exits the campus and heads to the bus stop. He spots a bus coming the moment he gets there. "Is that it? My bus is coming."

"That's it. And thanks, Ed. I've been meaning to ask Bella about this, but I bet she'd say the things you just did."

"You should still ask her. Get one more perspective before you say yes to Garrett."

"I will. Have I told you how much I love you two as a couple?"

"Only about a thousand times for the last two years."

"I'm not gonna stop saying it then."

"Then don't." The bus stops in front of him. "Gotta go. Good luck with Garrett!"

"Bye! And thanks again!"

He hangs up and boards the bus.

Great minds think alike.


	22. SHE - Potential

Chapter 22: SHE – Potential

If someone asked her during high school she would say goodbye to Jacob like this, she would have laughed at their face.

"This is it, huh?"

"Almost time."

She's at the airport, seeing Jacob off before he flies off for The Voice auditions. This is the day she has been dreading for a while. If they didn't fix their friendship, she would have pulled off a movie moment where she would try to catch Jacob before he leaves and tell him everything that was on her mind since their fall-out. But they did, and she's glad this is the way they'll be parting. They'll be parting as friends.

She looks up at her former crush. "I'm really gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Bella. Who else is gonna bash my head with a book whenever I do something stupid?"

She laughs, recalling their middle school days when she would hit him with a library book whenever he did something that irritated her or out of unintentional stupidity.

"Just imagine me doing it while you're gone."

"The imagination won't be enough."

"I know."

He pulls her into a hug. A bittersweet smile crosses her face. She holds her tears back. This is Jacob. This is her first rival, her first boyfriend, her first crush, and her first real heartbreak. This is the boy that put her through so much. And yet, this is also the boy that brought her to Edward. This is the boy that, despite the emotional pain he put her through, taught her the things that helped her relationship grow with her Nutty E. If it wasn't for Jacob, she would still be living the single life.

"We would've been good together," he tells her. "I'm still tremendously sorry for the shit I put you through. You didn't deserve that. I regret it. I let my feelings get into my head."

She tilts her head up, still encased in Jacob's arms. "I'd say it's fine, but that was a hard time." She pulls back, putting a few inches of space between them. "I forgave you. And look at us now. You're my number three guy in my life." Edward is her number one. Emmett is her number two (the man puts her and Rose as priorities in his life).

"I'm honored." He grips the handle of his luggage. "If you were my girlfriend, my love life would be so much easier."

"If you were my boyfriend, I'd expect you to serenade me at every anniversary."

He chuckles. "For you, I would have." He reaches into the pocket of his red hoodie and pulls out his phone. "I have to go."

"Yup." She gives him another hug, this time shorter than the previous one. "Text me as soon as you get there. And if you make it to live shows, I'll definitely vote for you."

"I know you would."

The two stare at each other. Brown to brown. They look at each other as friends. They love each other as friends. If things worked out differently in high school, maybe that love would have blossomed into true love. In an alternate universe, she bets Jacob would have been her endgame. But in this reality, her endgame is Edward. It will always be Edward.

"We'll always be friends," she says.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Fake sister too?"

"You are my brother, in the grand scheme of things."

"But good friends definitely."

He steps back. "Bye, Bella. Thank you for being… well, you."

"You're welcome. And thank you for being my idiot friend."

"Hey!"

"You are! Now go catch your plane."

He drags his luggage, waving at her as he does.

She lets a single tear fall from her eyes.

Friends forever.


	23. HE - Sailor Mouth

Chapter 23: HE – Sailor Mouth

Bella's grueling two years in the nursing program paid off. After many, many days and nights of her enduring SSS, she has finally graduated from her community college and transferring to his university for the one year it will take for her to receive a BA in nursing. He has one more semester left before he graduates himself. He's happy he'll get to spend it with his girlfriend. He can't wait for the longer bus rides they get to have to and from school, as well as spending his break times with her by his side, should their schedules allow them to do so.

Three years. It seems like yesterday he was at that bus stop confessing his feelings for her that morning.

Their relationship opened up new doors he wouldn't have been able to enter when he was single. Bella was the kind of girlfriend that he could talk to about anything. He never kept secrets from her. Aside from her history with Jacob, she didn't keep secrets from him too. They tell each other everything. They are honest with each other. When they argue (which is rarely; they've only fought twice since they got together), he reminds himself that they can compromise to solve their situations.

"I'm gonna be a lucky motherfucker when fall comes." He and Bella are in his bedroom, watching a random livestream on YouNow on his laptop. It has been a week since her graduation. It's both of their day-off from their jobs and they're spending their day together simply indoors and enjoying each other's company. It had become a habit for the two of them to watch YouNow livestreams during their break times at school. It easily passes the time. With a winter break looming, they can now enjoy watching livestream together instead of being by themselves (their friends had different schedules from them, so they always spent their break times cooped up at a library or cafeteria).

"You swore," she points out.

"I did, huh?" He cracks a smile. When he first started dating Bella, he wasn't the type of guy to swear like a sailor. He thought Bella was like that too (he rarely heard her swore when they were APUSH classmates), so when he learned she actually cussed a lot around her friends, it took some time for him to get used to it.

"Must've broken you," she teased. "What happened to my innocent Nutty E?"

"He's still here." He kisses her cheek. "But he's got a devil side around you."

"Devil side, huh? I'm so proud of you." She leans closer to him. "Swear again."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I dunno. Surprise me."

He smirks. "I fucking love you, DF."

She wolf-whistles. "Damn boy. If you had said DTF right there, I would've shit my pants."

He laughs. "Three years, DF. Three years I've gotten to love you and your cussing."

"And you never got offended."

"Offended?" He scoffs. "The only way I'd be offended is if you cheat on me."

"Cheat? Hah! The day I cheat on you is the day when the sun doesn't shine. Which is never.

"Exactly." He gives her a serious look. "You're not the type to cheat, and that's why you're the one for me."

"And you're the one for me."

She's perfect for him, and he's perfect for her.

If that isn't a perfect first (hopefully only) relationship, then what is?


	24. SHE - Physical

Chapter 24: SHE – Physical

Years of reading smut stories hasn't prepared her to experience smut herself.

When Edward asks her to sleep over at his house for the weekend a week before the start of the new semester, she expected Kate and his other friends to be there too. His dad would be out of town for the weekend and his mom wanted to come along with him. Chelsea and Heidi were staying over at their friends' house for the weekend, leaving Edward with the house to himself. She thought Edward would invite Kate and the others over so they could have a full-out sleepover. She was ready to invite Rose and Emmett along too.

But Edward had other plans.

"It's just you," he said when he told her about his family's weekend plans. "I was hoping we could spend some time together, just the two of us."

For the first time in their relationship, Edward's house would be empty. It wasn't the first time his parents were out of town, but Chelsea and Heidi were younger back then and, as the oldest, was entrusted to look after his siblings. Now that they're older, his parents trusted his sisters to look after themselves.

She knew better. She knew Chelsea and Heidi would be out of the house on purpose.

"You two need the time alone," Chelsea told her when she asked the older sister why Edward would be the only one home over the weekend.

"We're doing you a favor," Heidi seconded. "Take the chance to be adventurous, if you know what I mean."

Adventurous. That was probably Heidi's code name for sex.

On her way to Edward's house, she tries to calm her worries. She has a dirty mind and she swears on a daily basis, but the idea of going through the act of sex scares her. She knows the fundamentals and, thanks to her science classes, the anatomical parts. She knows what to do, yet she still fears she's going to mess up. What if something goes wrong? Edward is just as much of a virgin as she is, so he's going to be just as lost as her.

Fifteen minutes later, she's standing on the lawn of Edward's house, overnight duffel bag and black purse on each of her shoulders. If sex is on his agenda, she won't refuse him. She's ready for it. They've discussed it a few times and they know it would happen when the time is right.

Well, now's a pretty good time when Edward has got a house to himself.

Edward is waving from the window next to the front door. She watches as Edward opens the front door and gestures for her to come inside.

Releasing a breath, she smiles and heads inside. Whatever happens this weekend, she's ready to tackle it.

And, well, the weekend might be one of the best weekends she has ever had with Edward.

The sex didn't happen, but their physical relationship progressed. As his sisters predicted, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity for R-rated stuff to happen when he doesn't have family members around to cockblock the moments. He's just as nervous as her, so they constantly cracked awkward jokes to relieve their nerves. They watched a hentai film (her suggestion) to get them in the mood. And boy, did the hentai put them in a steamy mindset. It helped to put their doubts at bay.

They undressed each other for the first time. They touched each other in new places. They became familiar with each other's naked bodies. It was the most she blushed in two days with him, and it was the most he fumbled with his words.

By the end of the weekend, she itched to have another weekend like this again. They decided to withhold from sex until later.

"This is enough for me," he said when they were cuddling in his bed on Saturday. "If we take this further, we'll be like two horny teens that won't be able to control ourselves."

He did have a point. She read the fanfics. They're still young and knowing her dirty mind, she wouldn't be held accountable for her insatiability. Her boyfriend already makes her hot and bothered.

Sex can wait.

The wait will make it more pleasurable when it happens.

* * *

If this was rated M, I would've definitely written out that sexy scene.

Also, I'm used to saying smut instead of lemons lately. Tumblr and Dan and Phil fics got to me. xD


	25. HE - Listen Here

Chapter 25: HE – Listen Here

He feels like breaking into an Irish dance the minute he and Bella step off the bus on his university campus. It's the first day of the new semester. As his last semester of his university years, he wants to make as many lasting memories as possible. This one will go down as one of them.

"I'll never get over how big this place is," she comments as they leisurely walk through the campus, holding hands.

"Wasn't your college big too?"

"Not as big as this."

They take their time heading to the library, where he usually spends his break periods when he's not eating lunch. They share casual conversation about school and friends. She calls Rose on her phone and they shared had a three-way conversation for a few minutes before Rose had to hang up and head to her first class of the day.

They sit in an empty bench in front of the library. Their first classes are in a half hour, so he wants to spend as much time with her without stress of school as possible. They are discussing a new show they're catching up with on the CW when he spots the students he has been dreading to see during the entirety of winter break.

"Edward?"

He's frozen. He's tight-lipped, hoping that they don't notice him.

One of them looks up. "Hey, it's Cullen!"

Crap.

"Nutty E?" She looks at the direction where his eyes are trying to avert. "Who are they?"

"James," he grits. "James and his posse."

The small group of four walk over to them. Fantastic. Does he have to deal with them now?

Raoul speaks first. "So you're still here Cullen."

"Did you hit a growth spurt during the break?" Caius sneers. "Oh wait, the cold probably froze it."

Doug snickers. "I'm surprised, Cullen. You survived this long. But I wouldn't get your hopes up. You still got medical school and I bet you'll be the shortiest shorty there too."

Bella grips his hand tighter. He isn't surprised she'd be angry to hear this. But it was what he had to deal with for the past two years.

"So who's the pretty girl?" James asks, eying Bella like a piece of meat.

"I'm his girlfriend," she tells him, a sickly sweet tone in her voice. The way she says it could be pulled off as a conversational tone, but he heard her in this voice before. He heard her use it when he hung out with her, Rose, and Emmett once and she was defending Rose from a clique of girls that were flirting with Emmett and making fun of Rose for being the girlfriend that Emmett has.

"What's your name, beautiful?" Caius says in a flirtatious voice.

"Funny. Name's Bella."

James laughs. "Well you are beautiful."

"Thanks." She stands up and pulls on his hand. "Edward and I gotta get to our classes."

Doug pouts. "Can't you stay? We won't bite."

She rolls her eyes. "Really? Because I'm already seeing some biting." She looks at him and mouths 'let's go.'

"You know, I don't get why you're with Cullen," James brings up. "He'll be a disappointment to you in a few years. Even if he makes it as a doctor, he'll be the shortest one anyone will ever come across. If you're with him, you'll get the nasty end of it too. It would be better if you look for someone else now before you get hurt later."

"Sure, because he's already getting the nasty end from you jerks." She lets go of his hand and glares at the four boys. "Height doesn't matter in the medical field. What matters is having skill and having a heart. Edward tells me about all the bullshit you've been telling him and it's starting to piss me off. I don't give a fuck if he isn't the tallest guy around. The way you've been treating him makes you guys the ones that don't deserve to be doctors. You walk around being show-off's, but I bet you're just jealous. Ya'll have the money, so you guys got the education. But Edward's smart too and he got here on scholarship. He's here because he's got the brain and a personality fit to be a doctor. It's why I fell in love with him and why a flaw like height doesn't bother me. What bothers me is standing here with four losers who I'm ready to punch in the face, but won't do because it's not professional and violence is never the solution."

The four stare at her in disbelief. Him too. For Bella to be able to stand up to them is an accomplishment. He's always amazed by how she can tell people off with her words.

"C'mon Nutty E. I don't have time to talk with these four fuckers." She grabs his hand and she drags him away, not giving him a chance to look back.

He'll be forever in debt for this.

* * *

Yup. The first real appearance of the tormentors.

And hey, words speak louder than fists.


	26. SHE - Close

Chapter 26: SHE – Close

Her first few weeks attending a university has been quite productive.

Her confrontation with James and his friends has given her a boost of confidence going into the new year. Her high school self would be praising her now of her past self had seen how she took care of Edward's bullies. It's not right for college students to be acting high and mighty, as if they are royals and everyone else are peasants. She isn't someone that easily conforms to other people's demands. With those four boys, she's disappointed that there are still people that act like immature kids.

Aside from James and his friends, she didn't involve herself in any more social drama. She balanced her time between school, her relationship with Edward, and her friends. In fact, within those first few weeks, she made friends with some of her classmates in the university's nursing program.

One of them, in particular, was Riley.

Riley Biers reminds her of a combination of Jacob and Rose. He was a band member (Jacob was in band in middle school, but quit in high school) and the president of his drama club in his high school (Jacob was in the theater club of their high school). He loves dogs (Rose's animal weakness since she has a dog named Bruno) and battled with depression in high school (so did Rose, and if it wasn't for her, her best friend would still be dealing with depression). When she met Riley, she instantly clicked with him. He was just as creative and imaginative as she is.

While she writes, Riley draws. Their artistic minds brought them closer than she normally did with regular friends. She reminds herself that she has got to introduce Riley to Edward and the rest of her friends when they have time outside of school and their jobs (Riley works as a barista at a local café called Midnight Sun). Riley is like her brother, although the label of fake brother still belongs to Sam.

And she won't lie. Riley is drop-dead handsome. As one of the small number of guys in the university's nursing program, she has seen numerous girls subtly flirt with him. She's amused when he feigns innocence and pretends he doesn't notice.

"I guess I'm just that friendly," Riley teased after he turned down a girl that tried to ask him out on a date.

"Friendly guys don't flirt back."

"Friendly guys also don't give them little gifts. Only Bree gets those."

Bree is his girlfriend. The two are high school sweethearts and they are one of the few couples she has seen that she is certain will last. Bree is majoring in photography, and she often uses Riley as a subject for her assignments. And, ever since she met her, has even taken a couple photos of her to use as her next project.

For a semester she expected to pass by a blur, she's glad that she's able to make friends in a new college setting. She's socially awkward, so bonding with people isn't usually in her comfort zone. But meeting Riley and Bree gave her a chance to do so. She was able to bond with people that share her scientific and artistic mind.

They are people she can relate to, and that to her is something that makes her cherish the moments she has this semester.


	27. HE - Burning

Chapter 27: HE- Burning

For the first time, he has a reason to be jealous. And jealousy isn't an emotion he's happy to feel.

For years, he never dwelled about Bella's friendships with other guys. When she told him about Jacob, he understood her pain and the history between. Her brother-sister friendship with Sam didn't faze him (then again, Sam is with Emily and he knows Sam is devoted to his girlfriend). And even if Emmett wasn't with Rose, he wouldn't have been bothered by her friendship with Emmett since he sees Emmett is more like an older brother to Bella (he is older than her, Rose, and him by two years).

But this. This Riley is stirring emotions in him that he never wanted to feel as a boyfriend.

He isn't the type of be jealous. He isn't possessive. He's the understanding boyfriend that trusts his girlfriend. So why is it that he's acting like the jealous boyfriend? Why did he feel uncomfortable when Bella introduced him to Riley a week ago?

"Hi Edward."

He looks up. He's in one of the study hall classrooms in the university designated for science major students. He has been working with one of the anatomical models for the last half hour. He was engrossed with his studying that he's taken a bit by surprise when he gets interrupted.

He fights to hide his grimace. "Hey Riley."

"Mind if I sit with you?"

He looks around the room. More students have come in since he arrived and his table seems to be one of the few tables left with an empty seat.

"Sure." He didn't want to seem like a jerk.

Riley takes a seat across from him, dropping his backpack on the floor. He opens his binder and pulls out a worksheet and a pen.

"How have you been?" he asks.

He shrugs. "Okay."

"Applied to med school yet?"

"Yeah. Just waiting for the acceptance letter."

Riley smiles. "I hope you get in."

He can't fight the small smile that appears on his face. "Me too." He's now in Bella's shoes and crossing his fingers he gets accepted into medical school. He wouldn't want his four years in college to be for nothing.

Riley says nothing more, who begins to work on his worksheet. Relieved to be out of the small talk, he resumes his studying. The next half hour is spent in silence, along with occasional glances. Even though Riley is a good-looking guy, he's doing his best not to let his physical looks get to him. Riley hasn't done anything to make him a villain. He's aware that it's his insecurities that's fueling his jealousy.

"I have to go," Riley tells him sometime later. "Thanks for letting me sit here."

"No problem."

"See you around?"

He nods. "See you around."

Riley waves, and he watches the tall boy leave the room.

He leans back on his chair and sighs.

He needs to get a grip. Riley isn't out to steal Bella. Riley and Bella are just friends.

Bella chose to be with him.

She wouldn't throw away what they have.

* * *

Oh, jealous Edward. This side of him had to pop up somewhere in E & B's relationship.


	28. SHE - One Drink

Chapter 28: SHE - One Drink

Bar settings are definitely not her thing.

She didn't go to the bar against her will, although she also wasn't initially one hundred percent on board with the plan.

"It won't be so bad!" Bree persuaded when she invited her. Bree and Riley were planning to go to the grand opening of a bar called Eclipse over the weekend and asked her if she wanted to come along. She asked Edward if he wanted to come too, but he had to attend a birthday party for his younger cousins and couldn't back out of it.

"You should still go," Edward told her.

"I don't know…"

"Go, DF. Let loose. You don't have to dance. You have friends with you, and spending time with friends is more important than the drinking and the dancing."

"And if there are guys that try to flirt with me?"

"Then call me. I'll come to kick their asses."

So she said yes to Bree. And now here she is, with the couple, inside Eclipse sitting on a stool with her two friends.

"I'm glad you came!" Riley shouted over the pulsating music.

She smiles. The only reason she doesn't go to bars is for the dancing. She's terrible at dancing, and she doesn't want to embarrass herself on the dance floor.

"I'm glad I'm here with you guys."

"Thanks." The bartender passes the trio their drinks. They grab their glasses and make a brief toast before each taking a sip.

The night wears on. It becomes a blur in her head. She knows better than to get herself intoxicated, but she does want to let loose. If she gets drunk, at least she has Riley and Bree to take her home (Riley was the one that drove them).

Sometime after midnight, the inside of her head feels as if there's a fog surrounding her brain. She feels weightless, and there's an urge to drink more.

Riley and Bree are back at the bar, and through her half-closed lids, she stumbles her way back to them.

"Hey guys," she says.

"Bella? You alright?" Bree asks in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She clumsily sits on a stool next to Riley. "I think I need to go home."

"You do. You're drunk," Riley points out.

She giggles. "Me? Drunk? Nah. Isabella Swan does not get drunk."

Bree sighs. "Riley, do you think Edward will let her stay at his place?"

"Already ahead of you, babe. Bella, what's Edward's number?"

She slurs out Edward's phone number. "I thought you were taking me home."

"I know your parents, Bella. I don't think you'd want them to see you like."

"But I'm fine. Totally fine."

"You're not, which is why we're going to make you stay at your boyfriend's."

She smiles. "Hooray. The sex can happen."

She puts her head on the bar counter, willing her mental haze to go away. She can't be drunk. She promised herself never to get drunk. She knows the things people can do while they are drunk. There's no way she'll put herself through a regret of a one-night stand.

Several minutes later, she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Edward's on his way," Riley tells her.

She nods. "Thank you."

"Anything for a friend."

Now she remembers why she doesn't do bars.

On the up side, she's avoiding the consequences of a one-night stand.

* * *

I've never been to a bar before, so I had to rely on research for this chapter. But when I do, I'm sure I'll be able to detail drinks and stuff.

I'm ending this update here because the next update is a curveball and I don't wanna leave you guys hanging.


	29. HE - Still Do

Alright I made you guys wait over a month for the next update. The next batch isn't going to finish TLG, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for who knows how much longer.

* * *

Chapter 29: HE – Still Do

Drunk Bella is a Bella he doesn't like to deal with. When he got a call from Riley to pick her up and asked if she could stay over at his house, he instantly regretted letting her go to that bar. Sometimes, Bella's stubbornness and impulses leads her into undesirable situations. This was one of them. Then again, if it wasn't for her drunkenness, he wouldn't have found out sooner than later than Riley had a girlfriend.

A girlfriend.

He really was jealous for nothing. He was jealous over a guy that would never have a remote romantic interest in Bella. The fact fills him with guilt. He lived with the jealousy for weeks and any more would have made him do something he would berate himself later.

So here he is a week later, distracted by his thoughts while Tanya and his friends sit at a table with them at a McDonald's. It's another usual Friday hang-out and he hasn't been able to shake off his lingering guilt about Riley. How could he? He had secretly been a person Bella would have despised had she known how he viewed Riley.

"Edward!"

He blinks. Tanya is snapping her fingers, a concerned expression on her face.

"Hm?"

"Kate asked if you wanted to see the new Avengers movie next week Friday or Saturday."

"Oh! Ummm… what do you guys want?"

"We all want Saturday," Gianna tells him. "You?"

"I'm free next Saturday."

Kate claps her hand. "Saturday it is!"

The group finishes the rest of their meal before they exit the fast food restaurant and head home. Since he and Tanya live on the same block, he's walking next to her on their way home.

A few blocks away from their houses, Tanya speaks.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

She bites her lip. "Never mind."

He turns his head to look at her. "What is it? You can tell me anything."

"Anything?"

"We're friends, Tanya. Whatever's on your mind, you know I'm here to listen."

"I know that. It's just…" She hesitates for a few seconds before continuing. "I feel like Rachel right now."

"Rachel?"

"The one from Friends."

"Oh. That Rachel. What about her?" He has watched many episodes of the Friends show, so he's aware of the basic info about the old sitcom.

"Well… this was when Ross and Rachel was already broken up. Rachel still loved Ross and she told him so in an episode to get it off her chest. Ross took it okay and they didn't fight."

He looks at her, confused. Where is she going with this?

"Why'd you mention that?"

"Because I feel like Rachel in that scene." She looks at him nervously. "I know that Bella is her girlfriend and I'm not saying this because I want to break up the two of you. I would be a terrible friend if I did that. I know you let me down before and I know you're going to do that again anyway and it's pointless to even say this. But it's still bothering me after all this time and I haven't been able to get rid of these feelings till now. I think if I say it, it might make me feel better and maybe… I don't know… I don't know what I'm expecting out of this. This is a terrible idea. Forget I said anything."

"No." He knows where this is going. Her rambling is her way of delaying the words she thinks would change their friendship. But being friends with her for six years won't make him dump her as a friendship due to unrequited feelings. In a different world, if he didn't fall in love with Bella, it would have been with Tanya.

He understands her. And, like Ross, he's going to talk with her through her feelings to help her.

"Tanya." He puts his hands on the sides of her face. "Tell me."

"But-"

"Say it. I'm not going to leave until you do."

"Edward-"

"Say it!"

Her lip trembles. "I still love you."

And then he does something that will chew at his conscience more than his jealousy with Riley.

He kisses her.

* * *

*cringes* Read on before you kill me.


	30. SHE - Let Go

Chapter 30: SHE - Let Go

Their dreams are almost being fulfilled.

She's halfway there from getting her bachelor's degree in nursing.

Edward got his acceptance letter to the medical school of his choice.

And Jacob is on the verge of being a superstar.

"Top four, dude!" She grins at her tablet screen. "You got my vote no matter how your performance goes tomorrow."

"Thanks, Bella." Jacob's audition for The Voice had done him more good than he intended. He didn't expect to be a four-chair turner. He chose to be on Team Adam (he joked that he did it for her, although she knew Adam was the couch he wanted the most), though he was almost eliminated from knock-outs if it wasn't for Blake Shelton for pushing his save button on him. Through his Voice journey, the knock-outs was the closest call he had to being out of the competition. Once he made it to live shows, he never had to suffer through doing an instant save performance. And here he is now, in the top 4, the prize of being The Voice winner within his grasp.

"You're going to win. I can feel it."

"You know, I'd deny you, but the chances are there." She can feel his giddiness radiating from their virtual visual chat.

"How would you feel if you win?"

"I'll feel like winning against the champion of the Elite Four."

She laughs. "Which champion?"

"Any of them." He winks. "Especially Cynthia."

"I see why, you perv," she says teasingly.

Jacob's dreams of stardom was something he used to would stay as dreams. Back in middle school, she remembers how he used to tell her he would be the kind of musician girls would only like for their looks. He's getting that now (she reads some of the tweets fans make about Jacob), but she knows the real fans love his music too. His music is the reason why he got this far in the competition. He has the tender. alluring voice of a rocker that doesn't often come around.

"Speaking of girls." There's a nervous look in his eyes. "There's one I'm interested in."

She leans forward in her seat, curious to hear the details. "Tell me more."

He smiles. "Her name is Nessie. I met her during one of the shows. She works at a boutique her friend owns and she's just… wow. I really like her. She's cute and funny and she collects Pokemon cards and she's a total geek and I haven't met a girl like her since… well you."

He's got it bad.

Nessie must be a spectacular girl if she caught Jacob's eye. Sure, Jacob used to have a thing for dating girls just because of their looks, but he changed from that former method of pursuit. For him to compare Nessie to her makes this girl someone she approves of, even if she doesn't know how the girl looks like.

"I can see you're attracted to her," she tells him.

"Oh yeah."

"Are you two going out?"

"Not yet." His expression softens. "I haven't dated in so long and ever since we became friends again, I'm terrified of screwing up again. I still feel guilty about breaking your heart when you were in love with me and not doing anything about it. If we didn't make up, I would've already fucked things up with Nessie. I'm trying to take things slow. If I rush into things, I'm afraid I'll lose my chance at true love. You have it with Edward and I just… I want to have it too."

"And you will." She sees where his fears are lying. He hasn't gotten over that hurdle of forgiving himself for him being the reason why they drifted apart. If Nessie is like her, if he makes the same mistake like he did with her, he would be in a rut that he may not heal himself from.

"How do you know?"

"Because you deserve it. You've already been through a lot of relationships and you've dated enough girls to know what you want in your ideal girlfriend. At one point, your ideal girlfriend was me, but we were young and we weren't at the right place to know how to deal with love. You're older now. You know what you want and you think with your heart instead of your dick. You have your flaws, but so does every breathing creature on earth. So you know what? If Nessie doesn't see how awesome of a guy you are, she doesn't know what she's missing."

"Damn, Bella. Back at going deep."

She giggles. "It's what I do."

"So should I ask her out?"

"Dude! Didn't you hear a word I said? Of course you should!"

"I know. I was messing with ya. And I will. You're absolutely right about all that."

She's glad love is back in his radar. She had been starting to worry if he'd ever find a girl that would date him for his personality before his physical appearance.

At least it's for all the right reasons this time around.


	31. HE - Love Me

Chapter 31: HE – Love Me

"You didn't have to kiss me to make your point. Do you have any idea how much I feel guilty right now?"

"I did it to give you closure."

"Which you did. But what about Bella?"

"I'll deal with it later."

His kiss with Tanya burned his conscience. He didn't know how long he'd delay telling Bella the truth. He cheated on her. Sure, he isn't having an affair with Tanya, but a faithful boyfriend is never supposed to kiss other girls. He basically broke one of the number one rules of things that would make him a shitty boyfriend.

That's what he is right now as he's confessing to Bella the kiss that happened a week ago. The two of them are in a secluded part of a park that they are having a weekend lunch date at.

"I've gone to hell and I have every right to stay there. You're mad, and I deserve it. I'm an idiot and I practically hurt you more than what Jacob did. I'm so fricking sorry and I'll make it up to you. I can't take back what I did, but I promise you I won't ever do that again. I won't even get drunk for the rest of my life to be on the safe side."

Bella's attentive gaze on him doesn't give away how she's feeling about his confession. It starts to concern him.

"DF?" he says in a small voice.

"Is that everything off your chest?"

"Yeah." He engulfs her in a hug. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I'm sorry I did this. I'm sorry I couldn't control myself."

"Edward," she muffles his name against his chest. He draws his arms away and steps back. "First off, I understand. I'm a bit mad at you-"

"I'm sorry-"

"But only because you're blaming yourself too much than you should." She raises her hand and places her palm on his cheek. "It's human nature for people to be impulsive. I guess that your impulses made you too rash to think straight and, at the moment, you thought that a kiss would solve Tanya's issue. But you gave Tanya a piece of a dream she thought she could never have. She'll never get to have a relationship with you like she wants, though at least she has a peak into that what-if. Her feelings are important too. I have no idea if the kiss will help her move on, but you tried. You're one of her closest friends. You kissing another girl isn't the end of us."

"Really?"

She nods. She tiptoes and kisses his forehead. "You're my endgame because I waited a long time to find my soulmate. I had my head stuck in the clouds thinking I'd never find true love when all along he was right there in front of me. I'm not like most girls, Nutty E. You know that. Other girls would be in rage to hear news like that. Me, I'm weirded out by it in the my-boyfriend-is-capable-of-doing-that sort of way. But I'm not going to break up with you because of one kiss. I'm hear to listen. Good thing too. Knowing the reason why you kissed Tanya is what matters, not because of the action. See where I'm getting at?"

"I think so."

"Good." She wraps her arms around his neck. "Thanks for telling me. I'd be more mad if you kept this a secret rather than telling it to me straight."

"So… we're okay?"

"We're fine."

They share a kiss, and the dark clouds occupied inside his head start to disappear.

This is what love is about. Listening and understanding.

That's why she's his endgame.

* * *

See? It worked out. Now I could've made this where B was angry at E and refuse to talk to him, but remember, she's an understanding kind of person and being completely pissed off when she hears news like this isn't like her.


	32. SHE - Proud of You

Chapter 32: SHE – Proud of You

She's seeing the light out of this tunnel.

"Double celebration!" Rose squeals, her best friend tackling her in a bear hug when she entered Emmett's house.

It has been a week since her graduation from university. It's Christmas Eve and she, Rose, Edward, and Emmett are spending it at Emmett's house. After all the post-graduation hype for the last couple of weeks, she's happy to have spare time to be with her friends and her boyfriend.

"Girl! What have you been eating?"

"Sorry. I'm just so proud of you!"

"You said that at graduation."

"Doesn't matter. I'm still happy for you!"

Once Rose releases her from the bear hug, she steps aside to fully let her in. She grins at Edward, who is sitting on the couch.

"I'm proud of you too," he tells her, kissing her briefly on the lips. "You have a Bachelor's degree. Not everyone has the privilege to achieve that."

"Right? And it's in nursing too. Four and a half years of constant mild mental breakdowns and existential crises were worth it."

"Uh-huh. Meanwhile, I still got three and a half more years to go."

"You'll get through it, Nutty E. I believe in you." She was the encouraging one when Edward graduated last semester and when he started medical school. Now the tables are turned and he's the encouraging one.

"Who's ready to get wasted!" Emmett shouts. She turns around and sees him carrying a six-pack of beer in one hand and a big bottle of champagne in his other hand.

Rose rolls her eyes. "You can get wasted. Remember what happened the last time I got drunk?"

"Remember the last time I got drunk?" she jumps in, recalling her first time going to Midnight Sun. "I must've freaked Nutty E out for wanting to jump into bed with him."

Rose chuckles. "Can't be worse than getting drunk and almost kissing an ex-crush."

She groans, remembering the four's night out at Club Twilight for Emmett's 22nd birthday several months ago. "If I wasn't there, you would have been dead meat."

"You aren't wrong about that," Emmett joins in, putting the alcoholic beverages down on the coffee table. "Rose could've slept with Luke Hemmings and I would've been fine with that."

Edward scoffs. "Yeah right. You would have wanted to punch any 5SOS member for even remotely flirting with your girlfriend."

"Oh, and you wouldn't."

"As long as Bella doesn't go home with them."

"Alright alright." Rose sits down on the arm of the couch, grabbing one of the beers. "But for the record, if I wasn't tied down to the Cheeky Monkey, I would definitely do the dirty with Luke or Calum in a heartbeat."

Emmett lays a hand on his chest and sighs mockingly. "I'm honored you would bang me over them."

"Shut up!"

She laughs, grabbing Edward's hand as they sit on the couch. With all the festivities happening over the holidays, being able to have time to hang out with Rose, Emmett, and Edward is one of the highlights. The three are like family to her. She loves them to the bottom of her heart and they were the people that supported her along her medical journey in school.

She owes them her life for being able to survive this long.

They are a reason her dreams are being accomplished.

* * *

Six-ish chaps left. We're reaching the end soon.


	33. HE - Two of Us

Here's the last 6 chapters guys. I'll be saving my last A/N at the end of Ch. 38. Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 33: HE - Two of Us

Moving out is a major leap into the real world. It was something he and Bella discussed sometimes while they were still in school. They made plans to get an apartment together once they graduate with their bachelor degrees. Now that their plans are working out, adulthood has never looked this exciting yet terrifying.

Rose moved in with Emmett at his house a few months ago. Now it's time for him and Bella to do the same.

"Home sweet home!" Bella cheers, twirling 180 degrees into their 6th floor apartment. He, Bella, Rose, and Emmett went out to eat dinner at a ramen restaurant and they have just arrived back at their apartment. All day, their family and their friends helped them out with their moving day. It's now nine in the evening. Rose and Emmett are staying over at their place for the night.

"You two got a pretty sweet flat," Emmett comments, locking the front door behind them. "One of these days, we should switch places and Rose and I can sleep here for a night."

He considers the idea for a moment. He has stayed over at Emmett's house numerous times. Emmett's house is homey and it would be the kind of home he pictures living with Bella in someday.

"I'm up for it," Bella tells Emmett, as if reading his mind. "Let's save that for when Nutty E and I have christened the place first."

Rose smirks. "I can name a few fuckable places here."

He blushes, recalling the first time he and Bella slept together. It was a couple of months before she graduated from university. They explored every aspect of the physical side of their relationship except sex. He even purchased a copy of the Karma Sultra from Amazon and read through the entire book more times than he should have. He educated himself with coitus that by the time they did the deed, the pleasure escalated tenfold.

It was a good thing they waited. Now, at 25, he has been an adult long enough to use his brain over his dick.

Emmett wolf-whistles, propping himself on the granite surface of the bar table that he and Bella are fortunate to have in their new apartment. "This baby here is perfect for some hard banging."

Bella giggles. "You haven't seen the pole yet."

"What pole?"

"Yeah, what pole?" he echoes.

"The hypothetical pole in my dreams where I live out my pole-dancing fantasy."

"Ooh, you raunchy bitch," Rose teases. "We could take some pole-dancing lessons. I'm sure my uncle knows a few places."

Emmett raises an eyebrow. "Since when did your uncle get into pole-dancing?"

"Since he found out that pole-dancing is an interpretive art that involves exercise when you learn the right acrobatic moves."

"Don't forget the hot and sexy part."

"Gee, I wonder how I could forget."

Pole-dancing Bella? He could feel the blush on his cheeks deepen at the mental image of a half-naked Bella (or even a naked Bella) grinding herself against a pole. Or even doing one of those pole-dancing moves that resemble a dangerous stunt. Her clumsiness would make the latter thought harder to pull off, but he knows she could do it.

He goes over Bella and snakes his arms around her waist. He kisses her neck. "If you do that for me, I could make it rain."

She cranes her head and gazes at him with a mischevious glint in her eyes. "Then perhaps being a pole-dancer could be a side-job."

"It better be a side-job for a one-man audience."

"One man, huh? You better not be a stringent customer then."

"DF, I'd be throwing hundreds of dollars at you every night."

"You'd be broke by the first night!" Emmett chimes.

Bella rolls her eyes, but still lets out a laugh. "If Edward gets broke, at least he's being broke for me."

He sets a reminder to anticipate a day if Bella (and Rose) do take up those pole-dancing lessons.

It's a fantasy that would make him love this apartment even more.


	34. SHE - Like This

Chapter 34: SHE – Like This

It's his first day on the job.

Medical school was more stressful for Edward than college was. For four years, Edward was lost in a sea of studying, on-the-job training, and falling pieces of his bronze locks. He put his whole heart to endure the next phase of his dream. She dealt with the spiral of emotions he faced while in medical school. Thankfully, he had her as a stress/study buddy. As a registered nurse, she too gets caught up in her work and sometimes forgets to unwind.

With her in the work force, her mind is locked into caring for her patients. Long weekdays spent working at the hospital makes her brain reach overcapacity at times. She puts so much effort in her career that her sleep schedule affects time she spends with her family and boyfriend.

Thankfully, Edward understands what she's going through. He knows this is who he'll be when he's licensed to be a physician.

"Morning baby." She turns her head and sees him enter the living room, dressed only in his blue boxers. She can't hold back the rush of warmth that flows through her body. They sure did a lot of cardio last night.

She uses the spatula to put the last pancake on the stack she prepared on his plate. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Sleep well?"

He smirks. "Very well."

She grins. "Good. We're in for a long day." She carries the two plates to the dining table.

He joins her at the table. "I know. I'm still screaming 'help me' in my head."

She grabs the bottle of syrup and drizzles their pancakes in the sweet, sticky substance. "I was like that too."

He chuckles. "I remember. You wanted to hold a neon sign with the words 'stressed bitch here.'"

"I was stressed. And cranky during the first few weeks on the job."

"Baby, be cranky all you want. We're on the same boat when we chose health as our careers."

"At least we're working at the same hospital."

He beams, swallowing a piece of his pancake. "Best decision I ever made."

"Or worse, if you're spitted out the other end of the wormhole turning out like me."

"If I turn out successful, then let me into that wormhole."

They share more playful banter as they continue on with their breakfast. Out of all the places Edward could do his residency in, he chose to do it at the same hospital she's working in. One would assume he chose the hospital she worked at so he could be closer to her, but that's far from the case. Back in high school, when they did an assignment for a health-related class about places they wanted to work in, they both added that hospital on their list. It's one of the top state-of-the-art hospitals in the area. When they began dated, they made it their goal to see if they'd end up working in a medical center that was on their list.

Once they finish breakfast, she handles getting the dishes washed so Edward can get ready. An hour later, they are out the door dressed for work, Edward driving them to the hospital in their black BMW.

"You'll be fine, Nutty E." She hooks her arm with his.

"I need some balls to survive the day."

"I might see some balls today, so you're lucky."

He smiles. "We're still such goofballs. You know that?"

She kisses his cheek. "We will be for the rest of our existence."

This is how it feels to achieve their career dreams.

Regardless of those daily doses of stress, all that matters is they have each other to get through it.


	35. HE - One Knee

Chapter 35: HE – One Knee

A bead of sweat falls from his forehead. His pulse throbs in erratic beats.

Nine years. It was nine years to this day that he grew some balls and confessed to Bella that he loved her. Nine years ago, love blossomed between him and a girl that he thought was a dream.

"You have nothing to fear!" Kate assured him when he told his friends about today's plans. "There's no way she'll say more to you."

"It's Bella. She wouldn't deny marrying one of the best men in the world," Tanya told him. Since his impulsive kiss, he and Tanya drifted apart. They are still friends, but they aren't as close as they were in high school. The tension between them never faded. A few weeks after the kiss, they agreed to keep their distance to salvage their friendship. Thankfully, Kate and the others respected his wishes. While he still hangs out with the girls, most of his time is spent with Bella, Rose, and Emmett.

"If she said no, I'll play Baby to her every day for the rest of her life," Rose joked. If there was one song Bella disliked from Justin Bieber, it's Baby. She would rather drink toilet water than listen to that song.

He opens the little black box on his left palm. The ring nestled inside gleams in the sunlight.

It's almost sunset. Bella should be here soon. She's under the impression that he has planned a romantic beachside picnic to commemorate their nine-year anniversary. But today isn't just another anniversary. Today will mark the day he's asking the biggest question in his 26-year existence.

 _If Emmett can do it, so can you._

The Brit's marriage to Bella's best friend is in a week. If he's feeling this nervous now, he can't imagine how much more nervous he'll be on his own wedding day.

In the distance, he sees Bella walking through the beach's boardwalk. He closes the box and shoves it into the back pocket of his pants. It's showtime.

"Damn, Nutty E. You really outdid yourself." His eyes glazes over the casual red dress she's wearing. It's the same dress she wore the day when they had sex for the first time. How ironic.

On a green blanket is a scattering of white rose petals. Two bottles of champagne are out, as well as the same basket he used on their first date with the food he brought for dinner.

"It's all for you, DF."

"Awww… I'm surprised the petals didn't blow away."

"They're taped down." He had Kate and Tanya help him stick the rose petals on the blanket.

She chuckles. "Genius. If only people were smart enough to do that if they wanted to do the whole rose petal thing outside than inside."

"Right?" He grabs her hands. "It's your intelligence that was one of the reasons why I fell in love with you."

"I could say the same for you, Mr. Almost Doctor."

"Uh-huh." He gazes into her brown eyes, the pair of orbs that enamored him since the first time he saw her as a fifteen-year-old. "Isabella Swan, from the moment I saw you, you fascinated me. You were a girl that I noticed upon a sea of other students. For the rest of high school, I thought you were an impossible dream. I thought I messed up every chance I had to be with you. The months after we graduated, I couldn't get you out of my head. I regretted not telling you how I felt and I believed I would never fall in love with another girl the way I loved you. When I saw you that day in the bus, I had hope that destiny didn't fail me. And when you gave me a chance to be with you, I knew you would always be the one for me."

Keeping her hands clasped in his, he kneels down. She gasps. She doesn't speak, though he has an idea she knows what will come next.

"No amount of words will be enough to tell you how much you mean to me. I could say 'I love you' all the time until the day I die and it would be still be insufficient. You've always stood by my side. You gave me the strength to keep chasing my dreams. We've been there for each other for every goal we achieved. You have the best smile and the best laugh and the best heart I want to be in for the rest of my life."

He lets go of her hands and fishes for the box in his pocket. He opens the box, revealing the ring to her.

"Will you marry me? Will you be my DF forever?"

She chokes back a cry, her eyes glistening with tears.

She nods. "Yes, Nutty E. I'll always be yours."

With a huge smile on his face, he stands up and slips the ring on her ring finger. He grabs her face in his hands, kissing her with all the love he held for her all these years.

Mrs. Nutty E.

His eternal destiny and fate.


	36. SHE - Special Day

Chapter 36: SHE – Special Day

"Ladies and gentleman! I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen!"

Cheers erupt in the air as she and Edward walk to the ballroom's makeshift dance floor. They join Emmett and Rose, who she entrusted to be co-hosts of the event.

Emmett fistpumps. "Shoutout to my man Edward. May he enjoy popping all the cherries for the years to come."

Rose slaps his shoulder. "I apologize for my doofus of a hubby if any kids got what he meant."

"Hon, it's the 21st century. A 3-year-old would get it."

"All the more reason why you should listen to your head and not your balls."

She laughs along with the other guests in the room. She and Edward made the right choice for Rose and Emmett to emcee. Their infectious humor is keeping everyone entertained without using vulgar language. Though the cherries and balls bit was a close call.

Their wedding was everything she wanted. Before she ever met Edward, she dreamed when her perfect guy would come along. Failed crushes led to heartbreaks and wondering if she'll ever give her heart to someone that won't destroy it. Her only hope was the imagination that she'll someday place a ring on the finger of a man that she loves to infinity and beyond.

Edward may not be her most perfect man, but he is the man that she loves. He's a man that's treasuring her like the most precious, most priceless artifact.

Once she and Edward are in position, she watches as Emmett hands Jacob his microphone.

"Hey guys." The newly married couple grin at Jacob. Since his win in The Voice, he broke through into the music charts. He has several number one hits, including a single that he wrote about his love for Bella back in high school. He was unsure about releasing the song, but Edward gave him permission to release it since his feelings reflected himself before Edward was in the picture. "This is for you guys. May the years to come treat you well as it did with Nessie and I."

In the audience, Nessie does a wolf-whistle. She chuckles. Nessie makes a great Mrs. Black.

The beginning notes of David Pomeranz's Born for You reverberates in the room as Jacob plays his trusty guitar. Jacob had told her and Edward that he'd be performing a song that will flawlessly capture what their relationship is about. She tried to ask him many times to give her hints on what the song will be, but all he does is tell her to wait on her special day.

"Have a little faith on me, alright?" he assured her when she asked him for the last time before her bachelorette party with Rose, Kate, and a bunch of her other friends. "I'm not a chart-topping singer for nothing."

Edward wraps his arms around her waist. She snakes her arms around his neck. Gotta hand it to Jacob with his acoustic covers.

"You look beautiful," Edward whispers in he ear as they rock back and forth. Around them, people are pairing up and joining them on the dance floor.

"You've only said 595 times."

He raises an eyebrow. "Did you actually count all the times I say how beautiful you are?"

She giggles. "Just kidding. You probably said that more than 595 times anyway."

"Really? Give me an estimate."

"One thousand."

"One thousand? Now you're being dramatic."

"Dramatic, huh? That's what you get for marrying me."

He laughs, grabbing her face and landing a brief kiss on her lips. "What I married is the most beautiful, hardworking, nerdiest, and sometimes dramatic woman in the world."

She hums. "And I married the most handsome, determined, smartest, and most understanding man in the world."

They continue to dance, surrounded by an invisible blissful bubble. She glances over her shoulder. In her line of sight, she spots a familiar blonde-haired woman dancing with someone.

"Looks like Tanya and Ethan are hitting it off," she muses. Ethan, who's the same age as her and Edward, is Emmett's cousin who lives in Brighton. She and Edward met him when Emmett's family flew to their hometown from England for a mass McCarthy family reunion. When Emmett introduced Ethan to them, the couple immediately took a liking to him. She and Edward see Ethan as an older embodiment of their high school selves: a shy geek who just came from a breakup with a girlfriend he dated since college. The two took it upon themselves to help Ethan get back up on his feet. By the time Ethan flew back to Brighton, he promised to use what they taught him to fully find himself before jumping into another relationship.

"They are." Edward moves them so he can see Tanya and Ethan too. "He's sure changed." Ethan, who wore glasses when they first met him, traded the framed item for contacts. His blue eyes gleam under the chandelier light, staring at Tanya as if she's the last female on earth.

"How much do you bet something will happen between them by the end of the night?"

Edward scoffs. "Why bet? I know something's gonna happen."

"How so?"

"Hmmm... either they get really drunk and sleep together, or they get to know each other and they'll go on a date after tonight."

"I'm crossing my fingers for the second option."

As the song draws to a close, she and Edward kiss each other once more. After all these years, they are finally bound to each other for life. They went from awkward high school students with their own fears about love to experienced adults who overcame obstacles that life brought while being devoted to each other. They proved that love can survive everything.

It doesn't get any better than this.


	37. HE - Two Lines

Chapter 37: HE – Two Lines

Pacing back and forth in front of the locked door to their apartment's bathroom, he holds back the urge to kick the door open. He may not know karate or any form of martial arts, but he'd chainsaw his way through the door if it means getting to Bella. He should be there for her right now, comforting her as she's vomiting chunks of their dinner.

For the last few days, Bella took a sick leave from work since she had the stomach flu. As a licensed physician, he has his own line of work to attend to and asked Rose and Emmett to check up on her while he's at the hospital. He couldn't worry about his wife every minute of the day. His mind would be much more at peace Bella's best friend and her husband take care of her when he's not around.

"DF, you still okay over there?" he calls out. "Do you need me to call the fire brigade?"

He hears a laugh. "No need. I'm done anyway."

The doorknob clicks and the door swings open. He gapes when he sees the white object she's holding in her right hand.

"B-Bella?"

She smiles. "Surprise."

"Wh… I thought you were sick."

"I thought so too."

"Were you really vomiting in there?"

She nods. "What a nice way to announce the start of parenthood, huh."

He stares at her in shock. With downcast eyes, he watches her flip the object in her hand, which shows two bold red lines.

"You're serious?"

"Yup."

"Did… so it worked?" He recalls the steamy, passionate night they spent together a month ago while they were vacationing in London, courtesy of Emmett. At 30, with three years of marriage between them, they talked about settling down and starting a family. Now that he's is a certified doctor and Bella has several years of experience as a certified nurse, they thought that their careers makes them financially stable to raise a child. After a few failed attempts, they put it all on the line while they were in London.

"Of course it worked!" She whacks him lightly on the shoulders. "Would I be showing you a fake pregnancy stick if I was?"

"Are you trying to be dramatic again?"

"Do you want me to be dramatic?"

"Do you want to keep asking questions? Or can I run around screaming in joy at how happy I am that we're gonna have an Edward Jr?"

"Edward Jr? What makes you think our baby is going to be a boy?"

"I have a good feeling about it."

She laughs. She steps forward and hugs him. "What if it's a girl?"

"I'll still be happy." He kisses her cheek. _I'm gonna be a father!_

"If it was a girl, would you name her Bella Jr?"

"That works too. Our baby girl will be as beautiful as her mother."

"So if it's a boy, does that mean our child is going to someday have a crush on a complicated girl?"

"Oh please. Boy or girl, our child isn't going anywhere near love till he or she gets 'the talk.'"

"DF, are you thinking of torturing our child when he or she hasn't been born yet?"

She pokes the bridge of his nose playfully. "How about we put talking about the future on hold and focus on the fact that we'll be parents?"

He grins. "From now on, Mr. Cullen is an MD/DD."

"What's DD?"

"Doctor Daddy."

"Edward, are you implying that you want to try out another daddy kink?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Do you want to?"

"I have no objections."

 _I'm going to be a daddy._

Playful banter and foreshadowing a future that they want to build for their child. That's who he and DF are. They are still the same individuals since the first time he laid eyes on Bella. The awkwardness is still there, but their romance that bloomed in adulthood cultivated confidence and emotional strength that they never knew they had.

Pure love kept them together.

The product of their love is a human being that they'll someday pass their wisdom on.


	38. SHE - Forever and Ever

Chapter 38: SHE – Forever and Ever

At 7 AM on a warm summer day in early August, a 14-year-old brown-haired boy with green eyes runs into the kitchen.

"Good morning mom!"

She turns around and grins at her teenage son. "Morning, EJ. Did you sleep well?"

"I slept. Does that count?"

She chuckles. "Still nervous about your first day of high school."

EJ plops down on a seat at the kitchen table. "I'm shaking in the inside."

"Welcome to hell," Edward jokes. He walks through the door minutes after their, already dressed in his usual hospital attire. "Accepting applicants every year since the dawn of time."

"Dad, I'm pretty sure school didn't exist when the big bang happened."

Public media doesn't exaggerate when it comes to parenthood. When she and Edward learned that they were having a baby boy, they agreed to name their child based by names of two important men in her life that taught her what true love was about: Edward and Jacob. As for EJ's middle name, they decided to combine their first names to create Edel. And thus on February 14 when they were 31, Edward Jacob "EJ" Edel Cullen was born.

The years between EJ's birth and today, she and Edward experienced the ups and downs of domestic life. EJ as a baby and toddler were days of crying, first words, and tantrums. EJ in his childhood years were days of making friends, small injuries of riding a bike, and an emergence of an obsession in video games. EJ in his pre-teen years were days of first crushes, late-night studying, and a fascination for fanfiction based by his favorite video games. With today being EJ's first day of ninth grade looming as soon as he leaves the house, she's anticipating days of procrastinating, raging hormones, and other temptations that she and Edward may have to make him stay away from.

Once she sets out the food on the table, the Cullens eat their breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and rice. EJ's nervous expression hasn't left, so she and Edward share a look between each other. Their eyes are silently communicating what they both want to do with EJ.

"EJ?" Edward speaks.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you nervous about high school?"

EJ sighs. "What if I make a bad first impression to any upperclassmen? The first day of high school is supposed to be the biggest day of my life. It's where I'll be for the next four years. I don't care about the academic stuff since everyone says I'm as smart as Wikipedia. But what if people don't like me? I'm scared that I'll be setting myself up for four years of failure if I fail at making a good first impression."

"EJ." She drops her fork and gazes at her son with an empathetic expression. If there's anything she leaned from high school, it was to ignore what people perceived her of, She learned that loving herself, focusing on her schoolwork, and sticking with her friends were the three things she needed to be successful. "Remember what I told you? Failures doesn't define who you are. If you make a bad first impression, it's not the end of the world. You have four years to establish an identity in high school."

"Your mother's right," Edward agrees. "I won't be disappointed at you if your classmates don't like you. The only way you can fail your mom and I is if you stop being yourself."

"Wow," EJ says. "Did you get that off from Tumblr?"

She laughs. "And to think, our generation's social media still exists today."

"EDWARD JACOB CULLEN! If you don't get out here in the next five minutes, I'm telling dad to drive me to school without you!"

EJ shoves the rest of the food in his mouth, chewing as fast as he can. "Emmy's here. Gotta go!"

Emmanuelle McCarthy. Rose and Emmett's oldest daughter, Emmy, was born in late December during the same year that EJ was born. Like she and Rose, EJ and Emmy are best friends, along with Jacob and Nessie's children, Jane and Alice, and Riley and Bree's son, Diego. To the Cullens, they found themselves lucky that their son and the offspring of their good friends have formed a close friendship. They saved themselves from worrying about EJ's friends, because EJ's friends have parents that they've known for a long time.

"Have a good day," she tells EJ.

EJ smiles. "You too mom, dad. And thank you for the advice. I'll remember that if I meet anyone who knows fanfiction."

Edward grins. "That's my boy."

The Cullens follow EJ to the living room, where he picks up his bag from the couch, opens the front door, and sprints outside. Emmanuelle is waving at them from the backseat of Rose and Emmett's BMW.

"Hurry up!" Emmanuelle calls out. "I still wanna tour the school before orientation starts!"

"I'm coming! God, we're going to high school, not the White House."

Edward drapes his arm along her shoulders. "When do you think EJ will have his first high school mental breakdown?"

"Knowing high school today, as soon as he comes home."

"I'll put my money on that."

She leans her head to the side of Edward's neck. "We did good, Nutty E."

"I know." He kisses her cheek. "Wonder if he'll get Rose as his teacher."

"If he does, it'll be Girl Meets World all over again."

Nutty E and DF.

Forever began over 20 years ago, when love at first sight crossed a 15-year-old. For her, even if she didn't really know him well at 15, her destiny awaited. With timing and patience, she found her endgame. With her endgame, she lived through the long game.

The long game is still in progress, but it's a game that she's content to continue playing.

* * *

The end. It's over. No more sequels. I think I've told enough of Nutty E & DF's story.

Thanks to all of you that took the time to read EG & TLG! I've thoroughly enjoyed working on this story for the last 6 months. Just to know that you guys are reading makes me happy. These are the first completed multi-chaptered fics I've ever done, even if they're in drabble fic format. From here, you can expect more Twilight stories to come out from me (when it's not Dan and Phil fics, because I'm very attached to that fandom).

BUT.

I'm not letting go of Nutty E & DF yet. Remember in EG when I said I wanted to write outtakes? Well, I'm gonna go through with it. It'll be called During the Game. The outtakes will come from both EG & TLG. I've already selected the specific chapters from EG to do "extended chapters" for. From TLG, the outtakes will be deleted scenes from either moments that were mentioned in the story but never explained entirely, or little snapshots into the lives of B & E. There'll even be side stories of other characters in the 2 fics that'll explore the love in their own lives.

Quick question that has no relation to EG or TLG: would you like to see me write a Twilight slash or femslash fic? Like I mentioned, I've been writing Dan and Phil one-shots for the last few months and it helped me practice writing slash. I've read my share of slash & femslash fics for fandoms outside of Twilight, and I'm wondering if you'd like to see me write one specifically for Twilight.

Anyway, until the outtakes are released.

~ AA


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